Gangamma Jatara begins in Tirupati; ‘Pushpa’ film fuels return of cross-dressing ritual

Priests tie the ‘Vadibalu’ to the flag post in front of the Thallapaka Pedda Gangamma temple in Tirupati on Tuesday, marking the beginning of the annual Gangamma Jatara folk festival. | V. Poornachandra Kumar Gangamma Jatara, the folk festival of the ancient temple town of Tirupati, began with much fanfare on Tuesday (May 5, 2026).According to folklore, the local goddess used to be worshipped in seven forms, namely Thallapaka Pedda Gangamma, Thathayagunta Chinna Gangamma, Muthyalamma, Nerellamma, Mathamma, Ankalamma and Veshalamma, with each of them having a dedicated temple along the periphery of what was once the ‘Tirupati village’. Published - May 05, 2026 04:27 pm IST