Hyderabad: Bonalu begins on a grand note in city

Hyderabad: The traditional State festival of Ashada Masam Bonalu started in the city on a grand note from the historic Golconda Fort, with ministers offering silk clothes to Goddess Jagadambika on the first day of the month-long festival.

The denizens, particularly women and girls, thronged to the Golkonda Fort early in the morning. As the day passed, the crowd was seen gathering in large numbers to witness the ‘tottela uregimpu’ with the dances of potharajus to the teenmar tunes of bands.

The ‘utsava vigrahalu’ were taken from Chota Bazar to the temple in the Fort. The temple priest Ananta Chary said that in the month of Ashadam, bonum starts on the first Thursday or Sunday. Since the amavasya was on Friday, the festival started on this Sunday and will continue until July 29 with the final bonam.

The Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar offered silk clothes and also participated in the 23-foot-high ‘tottela uregimpu’ that was taken out from Langerhouz to Golkonda Fort. The ministers handed over the cheque for Rs 11 lakh to the temple executive officer, Srinivas Raju.

Many other colony associations brought ‘Tottelu’ and chariots with potharajus in the form of a procession to the Fort. Earlier in the day, as per tradition, the Kummari Sangham offered the first bonum to Jagadambika Ammavaru.

The first day of the State festival ended with much fanfare, with women in traditional attire offering bonum to Ammavaru in the temple on the premises of the fort. The next important dates for Bonalu include: Ujjaini Mahankali in Secunderabad on July 21; Rangam on the next day, July 22; Goshamahal and Begum Bazar on July 24; Lal Darwaza Simhavahini Ammavari Devalayam in the entire city on July 28; and Rangam on July 29. The event would end with a colourful procession on July 29.