Telangana's Medaram Jatara: Racing the clock for a mega festival
Telangana is in a mad dash to finish permanent infrastructure for the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, happening January 28-31, 2026.
The Chief Minister is expected to unveil upgrades variously reported as costing between about ₹230 crore and ₹300 crore, with some reports saying the inauguration would take place on January 19, 2026 (this date is not mentioned or corroborated in the PTI source).
The goal? Give this tribal festival Kumbh Mela-level facilities—though with the deadline looming, it's definitely a race against time.
What's getting built (and what's not quite done)
A key 3-km road is only two-thirds finished, and workers are hustling to wrap up granite platforms for deities, stone gateways, and structures designed to last centuries.
Some big pieces—like the temple arch and bathing ghat—are almost there, but basics like desilting of wells are largely complete — 18 of the 22 identified wells have been desilted, with a few remaining to be completed.
Massive scale, massive effort
The project covers 10km of new roads and spreads across 92 acres.
About 42,027 officials and staff from 21 departments will be deployed, along with 2,000 tribal youth volunteers, with nearly three crore devotees expected, including daily crowds of up to 40 lakh.
Why should you care?
It's not every day you see this kind of rush to build lasting infrastructure for a tribal festival.
With huge crowds expected and so much at stake, it's a real test of planning—and whether all this effort pays off by showtime.