Sarakka Central Tribal University

Facts for Prelims

Sarakka Central Tribal University

News: The Union Cabinet has approved the Sarakka Central Tribal University which will come up in Mulugu district,Telangana.

Background:
• The establishment of this university was a commitment made by the Central government under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
• The university is named after Sammakka and Sarakka, a mother-daughter duo revered among the local tribal community.

About:
• Sammakka is said to have been married to Pagididda Raju, a feudal chief of the Kakatiyas who ruled the Warangal area. She had two daughters and one son – Sarakka or Saralamma, Nagulamma and Jampanna, respectively.
• A biennial festival, the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara also known as Medaram Jatara, is held in Mulugu which commemorates the battle of the 13thcentury mother-daughter duo against the local rulers in protest against the imposition of taxes on the Koya people.
• People offer Bangaram (jaggery) during the festival
• Over the period, the festival has assumed so much importance that it is believed that after Kumbh Mela, the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara attracts the largest number of devotees in the country.