Juvvi tree at Medaram temple relocated ahead of 2028 Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara
HYDERABAD: When nearly two crore devotees from across the world gather at Medaram for the 2028 Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, they will offer prayers beneath a newly transplanted Juvvi (white fig) tree at the Sri Sammakka-Saralamma Temple. The new tree replaces the previous sacred Juvvi, which died recently after years of gradual decline, as reported but TOI.
The biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara is the world’s largest tribal festival. The previous edition, held in January 2026, attracted an estimated 1.5 crore to 1.75 crore devotees.
Devotional practices, redevelopment weakened tree
Temple priests and officials said the earlier Juvvi tree stood at the shrine for more than two decades but became increasingly fragile over the years. They attributed its decline to both long-standing devotional practices and the ₹300-crore temple redevelopment project.
“For devotees, the Juvvi tree is deeply sacred. Many pluck its leaves to take home as blessings, chip away small pieces of its bark as keepsakes and tie sacred threads around the trunk while offering prayers. Though these practices express faith, they gradually weakened the tree,” temple priest K. Venkatesh said.
According to tribal belief, people found Goddess Sammakka as an infant beneath a Juvvi tree in the forests of Medaram. Since then, the tree has remained one of the holiest symbols at the shrine.
Temple officials said the original Medi tree linked to the deity stood at the site for nearly 800 to 1,000 years before it died several decades ago. They later planted the previous Juvvi tree as its symbolic successor.
Sudhir Ramnath, superintendent of police, Mulugu district, who supervised the recent transplantation along with officials from the endowments, revenue and forest departments, said the redevelopment work also damaged the tree’s health.
A senior endowments department official said cement-laden water frequently seeped into the tree’s root zone during renovation work, gradually drying it out.
“After the Jatara, the tree stopped producing new leaves. We hoped it would revive with the onset of the monsoon, but it never sprouted again,” the official said.
Foundation completes complex transplantation
The temple trust sourced the replacement tree from its premises, and Hyderabad-based Vata Foundation carried out the transplantation.
The team lifted the fully grown tree with its root ball intact and replanted it inside the temple complex despite several challenges posed by the redeveloped site.
“It was not an easy task. The place where the tree had to be planted had nearly five to six feet of concrete, with natural soil available only below it. This meant we had to plant the tree much deeper so the roots could grow back. We faced other hurdles, including a crane failure and restrictions on using a JCB inside the renovated premises, but we eventually completed the operation successfully,” Uday Krishn of Vata Foundation said.
Protective measures planned
The endowments department has fenced off the area to protect the transplanted tree.
“The transplanted tree needs adequate ventilation during its initial days. After about a week, we will install protective barriers to keep devotees at a safe distance and construct a concrete fence around the site for long-term protection,” the official said.
