Bonalu Fervour: Grand procession in Old City today

Hyderabad: The final phase of Ashada Masam Bonalu was celebrated with fervour in the city on Sunday, as lakhs of devotees thronged to the Mahankali temples. Women gracefully carried bonam on their heads, while potharajus energetically danced to the rhythmic teen mar tunes of the band, all amidst vibrant and colourful processions.

The devotees, particularly the women dressed in their traditional sarees, were seen carrying bonam (a pot adorned with neem leaves, turmeric, vermilion, and a lamp filled with rice cooked with milk and jaggery) and saka (water with neem leaves). The potharajus and joginis, who are the main attraction of Bonalu, danced energetically to the teen mar tunes of the bands and DJs. The atmosphere was electric at night, with temples glowing in colourful lighting and ‘palaharam bandis’ and ‘tottela uregimpulu’ taken out in a grand manner.

A huge rush was seen at major temples in the city, including Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Mata Temple at Lal Darwaza, Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mata Temple at Hari Bowli in Old City, Sri Darbar Maisamma Temple at Karwan, and Sri Mahankali Temple at Amberpet. The temple management organised separate queue lines for women to offer bonam.

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu offered silk clothes to the goddesses on behalf of the government. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya, Khairatabad MLA Danam Nagender, Congress leaders V Hanumanth Rao, Feroz Khan, BJP leader Eatala Rajender, Madhavilatha Kompella, and others visited the temple. After praying at the Amberpet temple, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said that Bonalu is a festival dedicated to worshipping nature. “We all must protect nature and worship Shakti. I pray to Ammavaru to bless the 140 crore people of the country and make it strong,” said Kishan Reddy.

The festival would culminate with the oracle giving predictions and a grand procession organised by the Ummidi Devalayala Uregimpu Committee. The procession is led by the Sri Akkanna Madanna Temple Committee, where Ghatam deity will be taken on elephant Roopavathi, brought from Karnataka. The City police Commissioner will flag off the procession by performing puja to the goddesses on the elephant. A total of 25 Ghatams from major temples will be part of the colourful procession, which will pass through the main streets of the Old City on Monday. The procession would start from Hari Bowli and pass through Maissamma Mahankali temple in Bela, Nehru Statue, Lal Darwaza X Roads, Shalibanda, pass through Charminar, Pattarghatti, Madina, and culminate at the Matha temple at Delhi Darwaza near Musi River at Nayapul.