Nagoba Jatara

29.01.2025

Nagoba Jatara

Why in the news?                        

Nagoba Jatara, the eight-day holy pilgrimage event of Mesram clan Adivasi Gonds, is slated to start at Keslapur village in north Telangana’s tribal heartland of Indervelli mandal in Adilabad district.

About Nagoba Jatara:

• It is a tribal festival held in January/February in Keslapur village, Adilabad district,
• It is the second biggest tribal festival in India, after the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, held also in Telangana.
• It is celebrated for 10 days by the Mesaram clan of Gond tribes.
• Tribal people from Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh belonging to the Mesaram clan offer prayers at the festival.
• The chief deity at the festival is the ‘Nagoba’ (Sri Shek – Cobra).

Rituals of the festival :

• Few elder members of the Mesram clan go barefoot to the River Godavari a few days before the Jatara, bring holy water, and keep it near the Banyan Tree in front of the Nagoba Temple.
• The Jatara includes a ‘Bheting’ ceremony, where new brides are introduced into the clan. New brides come in possession wearing white saris and are led by the elder women to worship the Nagoba, after which they are recognized as a full-fledged member of the clan.
• The Gusadi Dance performance by dancers from the Gond tribe is a major special attraction of the event.

                                                                Source: The Hindu

Nagoba Jatara is a tribal festival held in which one of the following states?

A.Karnataka

B.Odisha

C.Chhattisgarh

D.Telangana

Answer D