Bonalu : Festivities begin at Golconda Fort amidst lot of religious fervor
On Sunday the peaceful Golconda Fort came alive with the incessant beats of drums and soaked in the colours of vermilion and turmeric, as the annual Bonalu festival, the Telangana State festival commenced at the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple on the fort premises.
On behalf of the Telangana Government, Endowments Minister A Indrakaran Reddy, Home Minister N Narasimha Reddy, Animal Husbandry Minister, T Srinivas Yadav and Excise Minister T Padma Rao offered ‘Pattu vastralu’ and ‘Bangaru Bonam’ to the presiding deity Jagadamba at the temple.
The festivities commenced after the ‘Thotella’ procession reached to the priest’s home at the Chota Bazar, Langar Houz in the afternoon where prayers were offered to the deity till Sunday evening. After performing the rituals, a colourful procession led by Pothuraju’s dance was taken up from Chota Bazar to the temple atop the fort.
All through the procession, Pothuraju’s danced to the traditional drumbeats amid twirling their moustache and cracking the whip as part of the rituals. Dressed in traditional attire women, men and children gathered in large numbers to offer the Bonams seeking blessings of the Goddess.
Women devotees offered ‘Bonam’ made of rice and jaggery to the mother goddess in earthen pots, which were decked up with turmeric, vermilion and neem leaves. Later prasadam was distributed to all. Rain did not hamper the festivities as people continued to arrive at the temple till late in the evening to offer prayers.
Devotees from all parts of the city and many from neighboring districts of Rangareddy, Medak and Vikarabad participated in the festivities at the temple.
Elaborate arrangements were made by the temple committee and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and Police department to avoid any inconvenience to the devotees. The Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple committee deployed 200 volunteers at the temple premises to guide the devotees and help them.
“Women devotees will be offering Bonam to the goddess on every Thursday and Sunday till August 12”, said Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple, executive officer, K Mahender Kumar said.
@religionworldbureau
