State basks in Bonalu gaiety, turns colourful

Thousands of devotees in traditional attire carrying bonam throng Durga temples across Telangana, where the presiding deity manifests herself in various formsHyderabad: The annual Aashada Bonalu festival has been conducted across the State amid pomp and gaiety and much fanfare. In the twin cities, the State festival saw large number of people thronging the nearby temples. Devotees also offered special pujas on the occasion.

Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya, State Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, Legislative Council Chairman Swamy Goud, Lok Sabha MP K Kavitha and Rajya Sabha member Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar were among the dignitaries who offered prayers to the Simha Vauhini Mahankali Ammavaru at the famed Lal Darwaja temple in the old city of Hyderabad, apart from thousands of devotees.

Indrakaran Reddy offered silk clothes to the Goddess on behalf of the State government. Kavitha offered golden bonam to the Goddess. Swamy Goud, speaking on the occasion, hailed the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government for conducting the festival on a grand scale. He said elaborate arrangements were made to ensure that no inconvenience was caused to the devotees. He said he prayed to the Goddess to see that the people in the State lived happily.

Kavitha said the Telangana government was giving adequate funds to all temples in the State to celebrate the Bonalu festival, while the earlier governments had not released funds even to 20 temples in the State.

She said she prayed the Goddess to bestow the State with bountiful of rains. Indrakaran Reddy said he prayed the Goddess for welfare and prosperity of the people and plenty of rains.

Women and girls clad in traditional dresses carrying pots embellished with vermillion, turmeric and traditional neem leaves thronged the temples in the city in large numbers and offered bonams. The Pothurajus, a unique feature of the Bonalu celebrations, danced to the tunes of typically sounding drum beats.

The State government made elaborate arrangements for the devotees to offer prayers at all Goddess temples in the city and across the State. The police made elaborate security arrangements at all temples in the city.

At the Historic Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mandiram, the first Maha Aarati was offered after Mahabhishekam by Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar. Animal Husbandry Minster Talasani Srinivas Yadav offered Pattu Vastraalu to the Goddess on behalf of the State government.

Renowned badminton player Olympian PV Sindhu offered Bonam to Sri Mahankali Ammavaru till afternoon. Former Governor and former Chief Minister K Rosaiah, Legislative Council Chairman Swamy Goud, Deputy Speaker of Legislative Assembly Padma Devender Reddy, BJP State president Dr Laxman, former Unin Minister Sarvey Sathyanarayana, former Vice-Chairman of NDMA Marri Shashidhar Reddy,

veteran Congress leader V Hanumantha Rao and former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, former ministers JGeeta Reddy, D K Aruna and MLA G Kishan Reddy and Sampath Kumar, DIG Malla Reddy, South Zone DCP Sathyanarayana and several other eminent personalities had the darshan of the Goddess. The Potha Raju Swagatham will be at 11 am on Monday and Rangam will take place at 12 noon.