KCR to offer Bangaru Bonam to Ujjaini Mahankali on July 29

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao would offer ‘Bangaru Bonam’ to Ujjaini Mahankali on July 29 on the occasion of annual ‘Lashkar Bonalu Jatara’ in Secunderabad.

The two-day Ujjaini Mahankali Jatara will commence on July 29. The second day will be Rangam, where a devotee Swarnalatha, possessed by Goddess, would announce the almanac for the state for the following year.

Ministers A Indrakaran Reddy, T Srinivas Yadav and T Padma Rao reviewed the arrangements for the festival here on Monday. Indrakaran Reddy said the Chief Minister would offer 3.8 kg of ‘Bangaru Bonam’ to Ammavaru. The minister released the design of Golden Bonam during the occasion.

He said the government had declared Bonalu as state festival and released Rs 15 crore this year. The minister complemented Animal Husbandry Minister Srinivas Yadav for taking various measures including covering of the temple ‘Garbha Gudi’ with silver plating, nose studs with diamonds and also a gold sword would be offered.

The minister felicitated Manepally Rama Rao, who has donated 5 kg silver for silver plating for sanctum sanctorum. Srinivas Yadav said the festival would start on July 15 with Ghatam, the main festival falls on July 29 and Rangam at 9.30 am on July 30. Later at 10.30 am, goddesses would be taken out on an elephant in the form of a procession from the temple to Mettuguda.

The minister asked the officials to allow VIPs only after 2 pm. The government would run special buses to Secunderabad from 19 different places in the city. The tourism department would have 3D screens at six different places in the city.

At different locations, the folk artists would give performance. Excise Minister T Padma Rao said that the wine shops in the city would be closed on July 29 and 30. He said that all steps were being taken by the government for success of the jatara. Mayor B Rammohan said the GHMC was gearing up for the arrangements for the festival.

Meanwhile, the temples committees, which receive government funds under Bonalu Festival, would have to submit utilisation certificates and expenditure list to the government committee and the funds would have to be used for flooring, colouring, white washing and other works.

The government had earlier formed a committee under Home Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy to plan and oversee all arrangements in the twin cities on a grand scale. The committee issued guidelines for utilising the funds by the temple committees. The grant-in-aid should be utilized for flooring, colouring /white washing, construction of compound walls, minor repairs, water connection, illumination and other related works in such identified temples.

A joint Committee comprising Joint Collectors of Hyderabad Ranga Reddy, RDO concerned, Endowments deputy commissioner (convener), Endowment department assistant commissioners of (Hyderabad/Secunderabad/ Ranga Reddy districts) would scrutinize the requests received from the temple committees and submit the same to the chairman of the committee.

The amount would be released to the district collector concerned and they should in turn be released and credited to the bank accounts of the identified temples/temple committees as approved by the committee. The process should be completed by July 20.

The temple committee would be responsible for utilization of the grant-in-aid for the purpose for which it was given and submission of the utilization certificates along with vouchers/bills and also pre and post work photographs to the deputy executive engineer and assistant commissioner of Endowments concerned, who would verify the works and utilization of the grant-in-aid and submit a consolidated report to the deputy commissioner. Action would be taken in cases where the grant-in-aid was not properly utilized.

The committee had earlier recommended releasing Rs 1 crore to the department of culture for organising cultural programs, Rs 30 lakh to Tourism department for special illumination, Rs 3 lakh to Endowments department Assistant Commissioner towards cost of Pattu Vastram to be presented in temples on behalf of government.