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A little festival of tribal origin in Andhra Pradesh
has become a major pilgrimage in the last six years. The Samakka
festival is held every two years at Medaram deep in the heart of the
thick forests of Warangal district.
The population of the
little forest village at Medaram in normal times never exceeds 300.
Suddenly, during the month of February it rises to over 3500000!
Millions of devotees come from all over Andhra Pradesh and
neighbouring states like Orissa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
This festival is held in memory of a Koya tribal queen called Samakka
who fought against the kedieval dynasty of the Kakatiyas who ruled
from Warangal between 1000 A.D.-1380 A.D. approximately. Among the
traditional deities of the Koyas and other forest tribes is the Tiger
Goddess of whom there is an interesting legend. As the story goes,
around 600 years ago, a band of Koyas walking through the thick
forest came upon a little girl playing with full grown tigers. They
retrieved the infant and the headman adopted her. She was named
Samakka. She grew up into fine young woman and married the headman
of a neighbouring village. Among her children was a daughter named
Saralama. Both mother and daughter were reputed for their kind and
helpful nature.
The Koyas were tributary
to the Kakatiyas. Once their assistance on the battle field had
saved the Kakatiyas. The king, pleased with them, told them to ask
for any boon. The Koyas replied that they were content with their
peaceful forest life and lacked nothing. When the king insisted the
Koyas said in case of need they would ask for some boon later. It so
happened that there was a severe drought lasting for years. The
Godavari dried up and food stocks were exhausted. At this precise
time the Kakatiyas came to collect taxes from the Koyas who were
unable to pay up. The king flew into a range. He sent his forces to
teach the Koyas a lesson. The Koyas were aghast. The troops
discovering the Koyas had hardly enough to eat themselves returned
empty-handed reporting that there were no taxes to be collected.
This angered the king further. He sent a large force and they
committed all sorts of atrocities. The Koyas had no option but to
resist. Finally the minister of the king decided to take a look. By
then most of the Koya chiefs had fallen in battle. The minister
proposed peace and offered Samakka a place in the king’s harem
as chief queen. Samakka turned down the offer saying she had no
faith in the promises of kings. Besides so many Koyas had been
killed and she resolved to continue the fight. Again the battle
raged and Samakka received a spear wound. “Now we will capture
the heroic Samakka,” thought the king’s forces. They never
captured her. She fled into the deep forest solemnly calling the
elements saying “If the Koyas are blameless, may the dynasty of
Warangal perish.” The grieving Koyas searched for their queen
al they found were a red ochre box, bangles … and the pug marks
of a huge full grown tigress. The Warangal dynasty was extinguished
very soon.
While escaping Samakka
had also told here people “So long as you remember me, I shall
be there with you always.” The Koyas and Waddaras regularly
hold festivals in memory of Samakka. Every two years Koya a priest
ceremonially bring the ochre box and standards of Samakka and place
them at the food of a tree symbolizing Saralama, her daughter besides
other Koyas warriors. It is said that during the festival a huge
tiger prowls around peacefully.
The mammoth crowd that
descends on Medaram pitch their makeshift tents under the trees.
Colourful bedsheets and sarees serve as tent cloth. The crowd treks
to a nearby rivulet called Jampana Vaagu, named after a son of
Samakka, to take a dip in the waters. Among the pilgrims are
childless women. They are put through a ritual conducted by elderly
women. On the banks of the river one sees several children getting
their first ceremonial haircut. Apparently some pilgrims have had
prayers answered.
While the festival has
tribal roots, today the bulk of the pilgrims are non-tribals. There
are elements of very ancient rites reminiscent of old matriarchal
societies. Some men dress in women’s garb for the duration of
the festival. Some women behave as though they are ‘possessed’.
The official Koya oracle forecasts the general future of the people.
The trees signifying the
Koya martyrs are in an enclosure where pilgrims file past. When the
priests bring out the ochre box and other relics from a hidden forest
location, there is great tumult with frenzied beating of drums,
blowing of trumpets and full throated yells. Earlier cocks and sheep
were ritually slaughtered. Now offerings are coconuts and jaggery.
They are piled at the foot of the trees. By nightfall, the exodus
starts. In two days Medaram is deserted. The crowd vanishes as
suddenly as it arrived. The long line of buses – 1500 this year
– raise clouds of red dust. Medaram goes to sleep for the next
two years.
OTHER TRIBAL FESTIVALS
The Lambara or
Banjara tribes of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Holi in the month of
Phagun (March-April) by
collecting subscriptions. Tribal headmen fast and worship clay
images of Kama, God of love and his consort, Rati. Men and women
dance in separate groups round a bonfire. Mock fights are staged
between them. The women vanish into their huts or tents to reappear
with pots of food and drink. The men raid them trying to snatch away
everything, somewhat like the Krishna-Baal-Gopal pranks with Radha
and the gopis (milkmaids) in
Brindavan.
The Lambaras claim
descent from Sugriva, the Aborigine chief who Sugriva, the Aborigine
chief who helped the Aryan prince, Rama, rescue his abducted wife,
Sita. Sugriva is their patron deity whom they honour on Holi with
the first coconut, a coin and home brewed wine.
Another popular tribal festival involves firewalking. On a day fixed by tribal
priests, selected youths led by the clan chief go to bathe in nearby
rivers or ponds. They return in procession carrying colourful
umbrellas with the priest walking ahead carrying the tribal God’s
statue. This colourful festival involves dancing which culminates in
firewalking over a long pit full of live coals in the temple
forecourt. Spectators are usually awed and wonderstruck by the fact
that no one gets burnt or shows the slightest sign of fear. The
night ends with boisterous feasting and communal bhajan
(devotional songs) singing till everyone is exhausted and the supply
on home brewed beer runs out.
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