Chenchu fest begins at Amrabad Reserve

HYDERABAD: The three day festival of native Chenchu tribe will begin on Monday at Bhourapur Lake located in Amrabad Tiger Reserve. The darshan of Lord Mallanna (Lord Shiva) will be opened for the general public on February 13 on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri in Appaipalli in Lingala mandal of Nagarkurnool district.
"Since 2016, Telangana government is assisting the age-old festival by taking up the festival arrangements.In and around the temple there are are several statutes and inscriptions of historical significance some of them date back to the rule of Rani Rudramadevi,"Chenchu Lokam organisation's president Dr Ram Kishan told TOI.
Chenchu tribals from across Telangana and AP, Karnataka and Maharashtra attend the festival. Integrated Tribal Development Agency manager Jaffar Hussain told TOI, "We are making arrangements for around 8,000 to 10,000 devotees. We are organising TSRTC buses for transporting the tribals for three days festival on February 12, 13 and 14th. Food will be provided three times a day. As there is now power supply here, we are using generators We have dug borewells and Rural Water Supply department is using tankers to supply to the villages like Rampur which has no groundwater,"
Chenchu activists said that most of the Chenchus are facing hardships due to lack of the facilities. Dr Ram Kishan added,"Despite the fact that ITDA working for years and spending crores still several of the tribal hamlets do not have drinking water supply facility."