Tens of thousands of devotees packed the route from Chilakagutta hillock to the tribal shrine on Thursday evening, January 29, 2026. They came to witness the arrival of mother Sammakka, carried in a vermilion casket by Koya priests. Led by Chief Priest Kokkera Krishnaiah, the priests descended from Chilakalagutta around 6:55 p.m. after secret traditional rituals. The procession moved towards the Medaram tribal shrine. Mulugu Superintendent of Police Sudhir R. Kekan fired several rounds in the air from an AK-47 to honor the tribal deity, a tradition since 1996. The priest team, including Kokkera Krishnaiah, Mallyala Satyam, Siddaboina Muninder, Siddaboina Bokkanna, Kommu Swami, and Kommu Janardhan, covered their faces with sacred red cloth. Ministers Danasari Anasuya Seethakka and Adluri Laxman Kumar, District Collector T.S. Divakara, and other officials were present. The event marks a key moment in the four-day Sammakka–Saralamma Maha Jatara, which began on January 28 with Saralamma's arrival. Along the 2.5 km path to the shrine, many youths climbed trees for a better view. Officials expect Goddess Sammakka to be installed on the Gadde (sacred platform) by midnight. Around one crore devotees are expected to see Sammakka along with other deities Padigiddaraju, Saralamma, and Govindaraju. The arrival sparked lively religious spirit. Devotees welcomed the deity with rangoli, lamps, animal sacrifices, tribal songs, drumming, dances, and chanting. "Shivasattis" danced in trance to the drums as the procession advanced. The shrine area was crowded with pilgrims from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and beyond. Roads to Medaram were jammed with vehicles due to the steady flow. Pilgrims prayed through rituals like Bangaram (jaggery) offerings and animal sacrifices, seeking blessings for family welfare. The festive mood was boosted by tribal women's traditional dances and sounds of horns and trumpets along the roads, adding magic to the Medaram celebration.