07-05-2025
Religious fervour marks the first day of Gangamma Jatara
It was a riot of colours at Sri Tataiahgunta Gangamma temple in Tirupati on Wednesday as devotees smeared with charcoal, limestone and vermilion over their bodies arrived to pay obeisance to the deity on the first day of the folk festival 'Gangamma Jatara'.
Donning weird costumes and make-up is a unique feature of this festival which is usually narrated in the form of a folklore. While settlers watch the proceedings with a sense of awe, the locals, who have been practising this age-old tradition, make a beeline to the temple donned up in weird costumes and attires.
Meanwhile, questions were raised on the functioning of the committee formed by the state government over alleged miscoordination. The civic authorities and police department made elaborate arrangements to address crowd management, traffic control and Prasadam distribution at the temple.
