Hyderabad: Elephant 'Gaja Lakshmi' to add zing to Old City Bonalu procession

Hyderabad: The Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mandiram has made all arrangements for successful conduct of the Bonalu festival in the Old city. Elephant 'Gaja Lakshmi' from Hampi Mutt, Karnataka, will take part in the Bonalu procession of the shrine.

According to the temple committee, as devotees from the twin cities and neighbouring districts will visit the temple to seek deity's blessings, steps have been taken for the 'darshan' of matha without any inconvenience. Though all other arrangements have been made smoothly, anxiety was prevailing among devotees on the participation of elephant with Matha Ghatam in the procession,

The Endowments department officials are to bring the elephant from Hampi Mutt. "It will participate in the Bonalu procession of Sri Nalla Pochamma Temple, Sabzimandi, on July 24 and on July 25 in the Old City Bonalu of the temple," informed temple committee secretary K Dattatreya.

For the last several years, the procession was taken out on elephant 'Rajani' from the Nehru Zoological Park. And in 2019, 'Sudha Rani' of Karnataka also took part in city's Bonalu and Moharram processions. After its demise, the government has been arranging 'Gaja Lakshmi' for last two years," said temple organising secretary Sunkari Kranti Kumar.

The Nehru Zoological Park curator has been directed to provide a trained veterinary officer with tranquilising equipment and drugs to accompany the elephant during processions and to attend to any emergency or untoward incident," Kranti Kumar added.

Bonalu has been declared a State festival and Rs 15 crore were sanctioned for the same. The month-long festival commenced on June 30 at Golconda fort and culminates on July 25 with the massive procession in Old City. The government is bearing the cost of transportation and care of the elephant this year.