Telangana Govt intervention urged for jumbo procession

Shalibanda: The temple committee of Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple, located at Hari Bowli in Shalibanda, on Monday represented the matter of non-availability of elephant for Bonalu procession in view of the recent court order, during the review meeting on Bonalu held by the Ministers Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Talasani Srinivas Yadav and A Indra Karan Reddy at Secretariat.

In his representation, G Niranjan, the president of the temple, brought to the notice that if the state government intervened over the matter and asked the court to review the case, it could be resolved. "The court order reveals that the order is purely based on the objections put forth by the Chief Conservator of Forests in their counter affidavit, and that the department is solely responsible for this order," he pointed out.

Speaking to The Hans India, Niranjan said that even though the Ministers had assured of organising the tuskers from neighbouring states, bringing from other states would be cumbersome and nearly impossible task, which later may be disbanded in the following years due to huge costs and logistic problems involved in it. He said rather seeking for alternative, the state government should either provide the animal from Zoo by asking the court to review the decision or Forest department should train some two to three elephants solely for the purpose.

"The state government has to intervene and ask the court to review the matter for avoiding any impact on the traditional processions like Bonalu and Muharram. Age-old traditions of a caparisoned elephant carrying Ammavari Ghatam in Bonalu procession and participating in Muharram procession with Bibi ka Alam on it have come under jeopardy following the court order. This affects the rituals, customs and religious sentiments of the people who gather in thousands to witness both the events every year," he said.

Niranjan also suggested that if nothing can be done about the court ruling, the Forest Department can train the elephants for this sole purpose, given the current state government continues to patronize the events like Bonalu and Muharram as the state festivities. The Bonalu will be celebrated in July and Muharram in September.