Harvest of happiness capped by fire-walking

Luxettipet: Satti Bonalu festival, celebrated in November soon after the harvested crops reach home, cements community beliefs through its spiritual aspects. The popular festival commences on a new moon day and concludes by the next new moon day.

Noticeably, Satti Mallanna Bonalu assumes grand proportions at the Andugula Mallannaswamy temple on the outskirts of Gampalapalli in Luxettipet mandal of Mancherial district.

For about a month, both young and old abstain from consuming milk, curd, ghee, meat and alcohol. People of communities like Yadava, Perika, Kapu and Golla Kuruma come alive during the Mallanna Bonalu celebrations.

Bonam is prepared using new rice, jaggery, milk and ghee and offered to the presiding deity. Those who live in urban areas offer bonam using vegetables grown in their backyard like beans, brinjal, bitter gourd, tomato, pumpkin and so on.

Only after offering the bonam to the deity, the farmers sell their agricultural produce. People of Yadava community celebrate the Bonalu for one full month. The popular belief is that offering their crops as neivedyam to the deity would augur well for the community.

Those who observe a month-long abstinence from taking prohibited products and observe all the rules of Satti Bonam festival would dare to walk on hot coals to prove their devotion to Lord Mallanna. There are also devotees who, to fulfill their vow to the deity, walk on hot coals.

On Sunday, the Mallanna temple reverberated with the Oggu artistes singing songs and crowds milling around the temple. The devotes offered neivedyam to the temple deity. Thousands of people, including those from neighbouring villages, take part in the Bonalu festival on Sundays and Wednesdays.