Hyderabad celebrates Bonalu with gaiety

The annual 'Bonalu' festival, dedicated to the Hindu goddess of power Mahankali or Kali and intended to ward off evil and usher in peace, was celebrated here on Sunday in a traditional manner with thousands of devotees participating in the festivities.

Telangana ministers were among prominent personalities who offered prayers at the Mahankali temples in the old city of Hyderabad. Devotees including a large number of women thronged Mahankali Temple Lal Darwaza, the historic AkkannaMadanna temple at Hari Bowli in Shah Ali Banda and other temples to the deity in different parts of the city.

Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy, Endowments Minister Indrakaran Reddy, legislative council chairman Swamy Goud, MPs K. Kavita, and V. Hanumantha Rao and Telangana Congress president Uttamkumar Reddy were among those who performed puja at Lala Darwaza temple.

Attired in their best, women queued up at the temples to offer Bonalu, which consists of cooked rice, jaggery, curd and turmeric water, carried in steel and clay pots on their heads. Declared a state festival last year by the Telangana government last year, Bonalu is being celebrated on a large scale with pomp and gaiety.

Various government departments have made all necessary arrangements for the devotees visiting the temples like drinking water, sanitation, roads and uninterrupted power supply. The two-day festivities will conclude on Monday with 'Rangam', the oracle prediction at AkkannaMadanna temple followed by a combined procession on a caparisoned elephant, carrying 'ghatam' of the goddess Mahankali.

The procession will pass through the main thoroughfares of the old city including historic Charminar before reaching Delhi Darwaza Matha Temple near Musi River where the ghatam will be immersed. Bonalu is celebrated in parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad during Ashada masam (July-August). Also known as Ashada Jatra Utsavalu, it is celebrated on three different Sundays in different places in the twin cities. Last Sunday, it was celebrated in Secunderabad.

It is believed that the festival was first celebrated over 150 years ago following a major cholera outbreak. People believed that the epidemic was due to the anger of Mahankali and began offering bonalu to placate her. Meanwhile, police have made elaborate security arrangements for Monday's Bonalu procession in the old city.

More than 3,000 policemen including personnel from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Rapid Action Force (RAF) to maintain law and order. Police will monitor the proceedings through CCTV cameras to prevent any untoward incident.