Mahankali temple decked up for Bonalu

Secunderabad: The Mahankali temple at Takara Basti is decked up profusely for the grand celebration of Bonalu on Sunday. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao will break a coconut and commence the festivities.

Deputy Speaker T Padma Rao Goud has been supervising the arrangements. He has been organising the festivities for 50 years. It is popular in the locality that he never goes out without performing puja to the Goddess.

The main attraction this year is 'Tiffin Cart', locally known as 'Phalaharam Bandi'. The cart is made of quality teak wood and being decorated with silver wrapper. It is estimated that almost 500 kg of silver is being used for this and total cost of this cart is around Rs 3 cr.

Artists from different states are specially invited to enthrall the onlookers. Apart from the local artists, Kerala artists will join in the procession. A group of 200 women drummers from Maharashtra along with others from Kolkata and Mumbai will also take part in this.

The temple at Takara Basti was very small until T Padma Rao Goud won as local corporator. He developed the temple to the present level. Speaking to The Hans India, Padma Rao said the Phalaharam Bandi from Takara Basti won best prize, which was known as noble prize in this category. He said may be the 'silver cart' of this is the biggest in its kind.

It has become a tradition that KCR has to inaugurate the festivities since 2002. This time, Chief Minister and the Deputy Speaker along with their families offer 'silver bonams' to the Goddess.

Sons of Padma Rao Kishore Goud, Kiran Goud, Rameshwar Goud, Trinetram Goud and Kalyan Chakravarthi Goud have been busy with making the preparations for the Sunday and Monday event.