According to a tribal story, about 6-7 centuries
ago,that is in the 13th century, some tribal leaders who went for a hunting
found a new born girl (Sammakka) emitting enormous light playing amidst tigers.
She was taken to their habitation . The head of the tribe adopted her
and brought up as a chief tain (She later became the saviour of the
tribals of the region) she was married to Pagididda Raju a feudatory tribal
chief of Kakatiyas(who ruled the country of Andhra from Warangal City between
1000 AD and 1380 AD).She was blessed with 2 daughters and one son namely
Sarakka, Nagulamma and Jampanna respectively.
After sometime, there was a severe drought that lasted for
years and as a result the mighty Godavari River dried up. pagedde
Raju didn't pay tribute to King Pratapa Rudra. In turn king Pratapa rudra sent
his army to subdue the tribals and collect the tribute. Then a War was fought
between tribal chief pagidde Raju and Kakatiya army on the banks of
"Sampenga Vagu" (Jampanna Vagu). The Koya army fought valiantly but
could not with stand the well equipped Kakatiya army. Though fought valiantly
Pagididda Raju, his daughters Sarakka, Nagulamma, son in law Govinda Raju lost
(husband of Sarakka) lives in the battle. Later Jampanna also dies in Sampenga
Vagu (after renamed as Jampanna Vagu in the memory of his heroic fight against
well trained Kakatiya army).
Upon hearing this news Sammakka also enters war and fights
and causes lot of damage to kakatiya army. Surprised by her Bravery And Valour
the Kakatiya Prime Minister visited war ravaged Koya kingdom with proposal of
peace and offered Sammakka a place in the emperor’s harem as the chief
queen. Samakka turned down the offer and resolved to continue the fight
to avenge the dead. The battle continued and Sammakka was seriously
wounded . Samakka told her people that as long as they remembered her,
she would protect them. Then, she cursed the Kaktiya dynasty to
perish And with that wounded body proceeded towards Chilakala gutta and
disappeared in the forest. The grieving Koyas searched for their
queen all they found were a red ochre box(a container of vermilion), her
bangles … and the pug marks of a huge full grown tigress, exactly the
same place where she was found as a infant by the koyas. The Kakatiya
dynasty came to an end very soon. Since then the Koyas, Waddaras and other
Indian tribes and castes have been holding festivals in memory of Sammakka and
Sarakka regularly .
