Hyderabad: Bonalu celebrated with gaiety & fervour

Hyderabad: The annual Bonalu symbolising the culture of Telangana was celebrated with traditional gaiety and fervour in the city on Sunday. Lakhs of devotees were seen having a darshan of the goddess at Mahankali temples. Several thousands of devout women seen carrying Bonalu bare footed to the temples in the city.

Women and teenage girls dressed in traditional attires participated in the celebrations. Some women went into a spell of trance where they danced balancing the pots to the rhythmic beats of drums.

Every corner of Hyderabad, especially the Old City resonated with songs, dance and music as the people were immersed in the Bonalu festival celebrations. Being the last Sunday of Ashadam, devotees made a beeline to the temples in the Old City. The famous Simhavahini Sri Mahankali Devalayam in Lal Darwaza at Lal Darwaza in the Old City were the major attractions for the devotees.

A large number of VIPs and politicians took part in Bonalu. Also, many people visited Sri Akkanna Maddanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli, Darbar Maisamma in Karwan, Mahankali temple in Amberpet and other Mahankali temples in the city.

Lal Darwaza Bonalu is one of the best ways to cherish the true heritage and cultural traditions of Hyderabad. The city temples were beautifully decorated with flowers and illuminated with enticing lights. Since it was the 114th year of Bonalu at the historic Lal Darwaza temple, Ministers Indrakaran Reddy, T Srinivas Yadav and Mohammed Mahmood Ali offered 'Bangaru Bonam' and silk robes to the Ammavaru on behalf of the state government.

POLICE ARRANGEMENTS

During the celebrations, special queues were arranged for women carrying Bonam containing cooked rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves on their heads, for hassle-free darshan of the goddess. Teams of the Hyderabad Commissioner's Task Force, Rapid Action Force, City Armed Reserve, Quick Reaction Teams, Bomb Detection and Disposal teams, SHE Teams and local civil police were deployed. Police pickets were posted at all sensitive points and religious places and patrolling continued.

According to the temple committee members, the festival will conclude with a Rangam (oracle prediction) at 1 pm followed by Bonalu procession on Monday. The colourful Bonalu procession with Ammavari Ghatam on a decorated elephant. Elephant Gajalakshmi from Karnataka has been arranged for the procession.

The procession would pass through Bela, Sudha Talkies, Nehru Statue, Lal Darwaza Crossroads, Shalibanda, Charminar, Gulzar Houz, Pathargatti, Madina and reach Mahankali temple at Delhi Darwaza, River Musi at Nayapul at about 7.30 pm.