The Sammakka-Saralamma Maha Jatara procession began on Tuesday in Ponugondla village, Telangana. Tribal priests from the Penaka clan of the Koya tribe carried the deity Pagididdaraju, husband of Sammakka, towards Medaram. The procession is expected to reach Medaram by Wednesday evening. The village echoed with chants as Koya tribals dressed in traditional clothes performed special prayers before the grand procession started. Panchayat Raj Minister Danasari Anasuya Seethakka joined the rituals and said all arrangements are ready for Asia’s biggest tribal festival. Around 3 crore people, mostly tribals, are expected to attend. She, along with District Collector TS Divakara, opened new queue lines and sheds for devotees at Medaram. Officials said 4,000 RTC buses are running to handle the heavy pilgrim crowd, and many devotees have arrived early to offer prayers. Experts studied crowd movement and improved festival routes, inspired by the Kumbh Mela. The Telangana police deployed AI-based tools under the TG-QUEST project to ensure safety and manage crowds. A new geo-tag system for missing persons is introduced, similar to Sabarimala. Children and elderly pilgrims will receive QR-coded tags for quick identification if separated. Mulugu SP Sudhir Ramnath Kekan said, “Nearly 30,000 people were reported missing during the last Jatara and were later found.” On January 19, CM A. Revanth Reddy inaugurated the renovated shrine complex at Medaram. The new gaddelu for Sammakka, Saralamma, Govinda Raju, and Pagididda Raju cost Rs 101 crore. The government sanctioned Rs 251 crore for overall development. Roads to Medaram are now four lanes wide. Queue lines, watchtowers, and parking facilities have also been upgraded for the festival.