Hyderabad: Hyderabad: When millions of devotees from across the globe gather for the biennial Medaram Jatara in 2028, they will pray beneath a newly translocated Juvvi (white fig) tree at the Sri Sammakka-Saralamma Temple – standing in place of the sacred tree that recently died after years of gradual decline.Last held in Jan 2026, the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara is regarded as the world’s largest tribal festival, drawing nearly 1.5 to 1.75 crore devotees every two years.Priests and temple officials said that the condition of the pervious fig tree – which stood at the site for over two decades — had become fragile over the years, with the recent temple redevelopment accelerating its deterioration.“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 keepsake, and tie sacred threads around the trunk while offering prayers. These practices, though significant in the faith, weakened the tree,” said K Venkatesh, one of the temple priests.According to tribal belief, Goddess Sammakka was discovered as an infant beneath a Juvvi tree in the forests of Medaram. The tree has since become one of the holiest symbols at the shrine. Temple officials say the original Medi tree associated with the deity stood at the site for nearly 800 to 1,000 years. However, it died several decades ago, and the previous tree was planted at the site as its symbolic successor.Along with the devotional practices, the Rs 300-crore redevelopment works undertaken earlier this year, also impacted the tree’s health, said Sudhir Ramnath, superintendent of police, Mulugu district, who oversaw the recent translocation work along with endowment, revenue and forest dept officials.Another senior official from the endowment dept said that cement-laden water frequently flowed into the tree’s root zone during renovation which gradually dried it up. “After the Jatara, the tree stopped producing new leaves. We hoped it would revive with the onset of monsoon, but it never sprouted again,” the official from Mulugu district added.The translocation of the new tree – sourced from the temple trust premises — was carried out by Hyderabad-based Vata Foundation. The operation involved lifting the fully grown tree with its root ball intact and replanting it at the temple despite the 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 the tree had to be planted much deeper so that 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,” said Uday Krishna of Vata Foundation.The endowment dept official said that they have now fenced off the area to prevent a similar incident in the future. “The transplanted tree needs adequate ventilation during its initial days. After about a week, we will put protective covers around it to keep people at a distance and also construct a concrete fence around the site for long-term protection,” the official added.
