Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy along with his cabinet colleagues and others during the unveiling of the pylon of the renovated Sammakka-Saralamma shrine at Medaram in Mulugu district on Monday. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Monday (January 19, 2026) inaugurated the renovated Sammakka-Saralamma tribal goddess shrine in Medaram, ahead of the biennial Medaram Maha Jatara scheduled from January 28 to 31.
Accompanied by family members and cabinet colleagues, including Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka, the Chief Minister offered prayers at the shrine and left for Hyderabad as he was scheduled to go to Davos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit.
Sacred platforms
The state government has renovated the gaddela (sacred platforms) of Sammakka, Saralamma, Govindaraju and Pagididda Raja at a cost of ₹ 101 crore. The main enclosure of the gaddel covers 271 square meters with 46 granite pillars, while the circular gaddel with eight pillars forms the core of the complex. The project also includes several welcome arches and a main entrance arch.
As part of other rehabilitation works, the roads leading to Medaram were widened to four lanes with modernized frontages, inns, watch towers, drainage and flood control systems. Parking facilities have been expanded to accommodate thousands of vehicles near the shrine complex. Officials said the work was done without cutting down trees while preserving the existing forest cover, which includes 12 species of sacred trees such as banyan, bamboo, neem and mahua (ippa). The government also plans to plant 140 varieties of medicinal plants in the area.
Taking lessons from conducting large religious congregations like the Kumbh Mela, a team of experts studied crowd movement, access routes and pressure points in Medaram and offered recommendations. A drone show, cultural programs and screening of a documentary on jatar are scheduled during the four-day event.
The government has sanctioned ₹251 crore for the comprehensive development of Medaram, including ₹101 crore for the expansion of the gaddel.
Published – 19 Jan 2026 15:52 IST
