- Tribal representatives from New Zealand's Maori community performed the Haka dance at Medaram Jatara
- Medaram Jatara is a major tribal festival honoring goddesses Sammakka and Saralamma in Telangana
- The festival attracts millions and is held biennially in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary
In a unique cultural exchange, tribal representatives from New Zealand's Maori community visited the historic Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara in Telangana's Medaram and enlivened the celebrations with a powerful performance of the traditional Maori Haka dance.
Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or Medaram Jatara is a festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in Telangana. This Jatara is known for witnessing one of the largest gatherings of people in the world.
Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan.
The emotive dance, known globally for its energy and strength, drew attention from devotees and visitors at one of India's largest tribal festivals.
The visit was part of an Indo-New Zealand cultural exchange programme.
Telangana Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Seethakka welcomed the delegation and joined them in their performance.
Welcoming the New Zealand tribal delegation, Seethakka highlighted that tribal cultures across the world share deep bonds with nature, forests and community identity, and that such exchanges deepen mutual respect and understanding among indigenous peoples.
The Maori representatives were later taken for darshan of the tribal deities at Medaram, where the Minister explained the importance of Sammakka and Saralamma in local tribal traditions.
The event added an international cultural dimension to the ongoing Medaram Jatara, a biennial festival held in the dense forests of Mulugu district that is deeply rooted in tribal history and belief.
The festival honours Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma, legendary tribal leaders of the Koya community who are believed to have fought against unjust taxation and oppression by rulers centuries ago. The Jatara celebrates their courage, resilience and devotion to their people, and has grown into one of the largest tribal gatherings in the world.
Held once every two years, the four-day Jatara draws millions of devotees from states, including Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and beyond, who offer prayers and symbolic offerings such as jaggery equal to their body weight considering it a sacred act at the site. The rituals, led by tribal priests rather than traditional Brahmin officiants, reflect the unique cultural identity of the Koya tribe.
The presence of the Maori delegation, the first of its kind at Medaram, is seen as a symbol of global tribal unity and the enduring spirit of indigenous heritage across continents.
