History & Legend
The origins of the Nagoba Jatra and the legend of the Mesram Clan.
Introduction
The Adilabad district is situated in Telangana, covered by dense forest and connecting North and South. It is situated on Sahayadri hills. Most of the tribals are Gond, Pardhan, Kolam, Thoti, Andh, Nayakpod, Mannewar, Koya, Chenchu and other non-tribals. The tribal people lead their life on agriculture and collecting the forest products.
The Gonds, Pardhan, Kolam, Thothi are the followers of Gondi culture. Basically, they are very particular about their rituals, fairs, and festivals and mostly do not show interest to mingle with other religious or cultural peoples. They are celebrating their festival in a particular manner. One of the festivals is Nagoba Jatara, the Mesram clan Persapen Jatara. The Nagoba Jatara is the second largest festival in Telangana, declared as a state festival by the Government of Telangana.
The Rituals
Keslapur Nagoba Jatara starts in Pushyamas, the first day of the moon. All the Mesram Gonds and Pardhans men gather at Keslapur pen muradi place which is their Badadev kept in a holy place. In the evening all the Mesram clan pray to the God with their musical instruments Dhol, Kalikom, and Pepri.
The next day morning, Katoda and Pardhan Priests prepare for publicity regarding the festival of Nagoba Jatara. They use a traditional Bullock cart with a Pardhan Charioteer and move for publicity for seven days in seven villages. They will give an order to make a Pot to the Potter at Sirikonda village. The Potters families have been making the pots for years for Nagoba; they also observe Fasting (Vratham) during the Pushya Month.
After returning from Sirikonda village, they gather at Keslapur at the Madavi clan house (treated as the elder of seven clans). The next day, they prepare the route map to collect Godavari water. Although transportation is available, the Mesram clan brings the water barefoot, walking about 100-130 kms to Hastanmudugu in Jannaram mandal, Mancherial district.
The Sacred Journey
Returning from the Godavari, they stay at the Katoda house for 4 days. From there, they come to Indurai in Indravelli village to pray to their Indurai Goddess and start the journey to Keslapur. On the same day in the evening, they reach the banyan tree at Keslapur. For three days, Pardhans (bards of Gonds) narrate the story of Nagoba in the evening on their Holy and traditional instrument Kikri, passing stories from generation to generation.
On the 4th day, the Thum programme is performed in the name of late elders. On the 5th day, sisters & Brother-in-laws make an Anthill. Mesram clan sisters bring water and In-Laws make the Anthill in the premises of Nagoba Temple.
In the evening, all the Bullock carts arrive at Nagoba temple premises from the banyan tree. The temple is cleaned with Godavari water and decorated. The Patel, Katoda, Pardhan, Divitkar, Naikwadi, Kothwal, and Divyakatoda perform the pooja with traditional instruments.
There is a story that while doing the pooja, they put a white cotton towel on the Anthill and put all the pooja materials. A snake will come from the Anthill and give darshan, completing the Pooja.
The Legend of Padiyur
"One night however, when Padiyur had gone to bed and his wives believed him sleeping, they talked again amongst themselves..."
The legend tells of Padiyur, who was distressed by his wives' complaints that he had no kinsmen—no father, grandfather, or brothers. Determined to prove them wrong, he sought his Pardhan and kinsmen. His brother-in-law instructed him to load all his guns and big cannons and sacrifice a goat before them.
The noise of the cannons reached the Pardhan of the seven Brothers folk in distant Wairagar. The Pardhan took his fiddle (Kikri) named Heerabai and his spear and gathered the brothers: Madavi, Marskola, Korvetha, Purka, Vedma, Pandra, and Mesram. They all journeyed to Bourmachua to support Padiyur.
When Padiyur's wives saw the immense gathering of kinsmen—three lines and four fields long—they were made to greet each one in ceremonial fashion until they were exhausted and begged for forgiveness.
Padiyur then proposed they worship their God. However, they had brought guns, not offerings. They took chickens, goats, and calves and journeyed to the sea. Padiyur crossed the sea on lotus leaves to the golden shrine of Raja Shek (the Serpent God). Finding the God absent, he sat on the God's throne, defying the guardian Budiya, and stole pan leaves from the God's golden thread.
When Raja Shek returned and smelled the man, he was enraged. He transformed into an enormous Cobra and swam towards Bourmachua, destroying obstacles in his path. He reached the village boundary, ready to devour everyone.
A mendicant named Chiringibhat intervened, drawing seven lines across the path and begging the God to spare the people. Raja Shek agreed on the condition of offerings: seven loads of milk, curd, sugar, and eggs. This appeasement of the Serpent God established the tradition of worship that continues to this day.
Praja Darbar
On the 4th day, the Government officially holds a Darbar. This tradition started after the death of Kumram Bheem. Famous Anthropologist Prof. Furer Haimendorf visited Keslapur Nagoba Jatara and suggested a Darbar to receive grievances from tribals and solve their problems. The Darbar started in 1945 and continues to this day.