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ToggleTirupati Gangamma Jatara
There has been a tradition in most places to worship a special deity as a Village Deity or Village Goddess (Grama Devata). It is believed that She will protect the inhabitants of the village from famine, diseases, contagious illness, diseases in the animals, and thugs who used to rob the villagers.
In a grand manner, she is worshipped once a year in an event often called Jatara (congregation of all the villagers) to appease her furiousness and obtain her benevolent blessings. During those days of worship, she is offered cooked rice items, flowers, Kumkum(vermilion), and Pasupu (turmeric).
This is a form of Sakti cult i.e., praying to the mother Goddess as the protector. The Village Goddess has different names such as Mutyalamma, Mysamma, Poleruamma, Ankamma, etc. in different parts of the Telugu-speaking states.
These temples will be either at the village boundaries or on the banks of lakes in the village.
Tirupati Gangamma
Gangamma is regarded as the village deity of Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. She is also considered the Grama Devata in many places in Rayalaseema.
Gangamma Jatara is a weeklong splendorous celebration conducted during May every year with prayers, offerings, and people decorating themselves in various colorful costumes. They go in procession with a great show
Sri Tataiahgunta Gangamma - Legend
It is said that Gagamma is prayed to in two names. One is called Tallapaka Gangamma and the second one is called Tatayya Gunta Gangamma.
The temple of Tallapaka Gangamma is on the banks of Tallapaka Lake. She is also called Pedda Gangamma. The Tatayya Gunta Gangamma temple is between Mallayya Gunta and Tatayya Gunta and she is renowned as Chinna Gangamma.
According to the folklore, Palegadu was ruling Tirupati. He disturbed the women at that time. Unable to bear the torture of the ruler, all the women prayed to the Universal Mother to punish him. The holy mother took birth as a girl in the Avilala village as Gangamma.
The Palegadu had an evil eye on Gagamma when she grew into a young woman. He wants to disturb her also. The Goddess then appeared in her most fearful form and vowed to kill the ruler within one week. Out of fear, the ruler hid in different places. The mother wore several attires to disguise her form and searched for the ruler. One day she killed the ruler.
To mark this great achievement of the Mother, the people celebrate a grand Jatara every year. During the festival, people will wander in the streets with different attires representing the attires the Mother personified to find out the ruler.
The participants also smear red, black, and white colors on their bodies during the festivities.
Eight day festivities
The eight-day festivities start with Chatimpu on day 1. It is an announcement made around Tirupati about the beginning of the Jatara.
The drums are played in declaring the start of the event.
On day 2
the devotees attire as Bairagi covering their faces with white paste and they garland themselves with Rella kaya. They dispose them off at the temple after the darshan of the Mother.
On day 3
the devotees wear the attire called Banda attire. They anoint the paste of Kumkum and tie a ribbon to their head.
On day 4
the devotees perform Thota Vesham. They cover their bodies with charcoal and wear neem garlands.
On day 5
the Dhora Vesham is performed. They smear their bodies with sandalwood paste and wear neem leaf garlands.
On day 6
the Mathangi Vesham the devotees comfort the wife of the Palegadu who had been killed by the Mother on the previous day in Dhora attire.
On day 7
the devotees smear their bodies with white paste and apply charcoal dots. It is called Sunnapu Kundalu attire. They carry a pot on their head. They leave the pot in the temple after having the graceful darshan of the Mother.
On day 8
it is called Sapparam. The concluding day of the weeklong Jatara is when the devotees chop the clay idol made at the entrance on the first day. The devotees throng the temple to collect the clay as they consider it auspicious to keep it in the house.
Gangamma Jatara is revered as an important festival by the devotees as people throng the place during this time to take part in the procession and have the blessings of the Mother.
Devotees can visit this Gangamma temple during their visit to Tirumala Tirupati and seek the blessings of the Goddess.
Source: May Sapthagiri 2022
