In anticipation of the Medaram Jathara, a significant trade fair in South India, educational institutions in Telangana's Mulugu district will remain closed for four days. The Telangana government, through District Collector Tripathi, has mandated a holiday from February 21 to February 24, 2024, for both government and private schools and colleges in the district.
Cultural celebration takes precedence
According to Times Now report, the decision to close educational institutions aligns with the dates of the Medaram Jathara event, often dubbed the Telangana Kumbh Mela. Celebrated as the largest tribal fair in Asia, the Medaram Sammakka Saralamma Jatara draws crowds from far and wide to Medaram Village in Tadvai Mandal, deep within the forests of Mulugu district.
This year's Jathara, designated a State Festival in 1998, is scheduled from February 21 to February 24, 2024. To facilitate the influx of devotees attending the biennial festivities, the Union Minister for Tourism and Culture has arranged additional trains on February 21 and 24. Moreover, pilgrims can avail themselves of helicopter services offered by the tourism department, operated by Bengaluru-based Thumbi Aviation since February 17, as reported by Times Now.
Acknowledging religious observance
This closure follows the government's earlier decision to declare February 8 a holiday in honor of the Muslims' Shab-e-Meraj festival, a day considered auspicious by the Muslim community. Mosques are illuminated with lamps on this occasion, and it has been designated a holiday in the government-released school holiday calendar.
Regular classes are set to resume on February 26, 2024, after the conclusion of the Medaram Jathara festivities.
