Bonalu, the traditional folk festival of Telangana, began on Sunday at the Jagadambika Temple at the Golconda Fort in Hyderabad. The religious procession started from Langar Houz and is on the way to the temple near Bala Hissar on top of the historic fort. The three-kilometer procession will reach the temple late on Sunday evening. Ashada Bonalu is the Telangana state festival held in the month of Ashada, according to the Hindu calendar, celebrating Goddess Mahankali. While the celebrations were going on, incessant rains since Sunday morning has also impacted the narrow pathways around the fort.
Women queued up at temples to offer Bonam, a mixture of cooked rice, jaggery, curd, and turmeric water, carried in steel or clay pots on their heads. The devotees believe that the annual festival will ward off evil and usher in peace.
Public events during Bonalu were canceled by the state government last year in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the lifting of COVID-19 related restrictions last month, the government allowed people's participation this time. This year, the organizers of the festival have been directed to ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocol, including wearing masks and maintenance of social distancing.
Minister for Animal Husbandry Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the temple committees were briefed on the precautions to be taken during the festival. This year, the government has allocated Rs 15 crore for the celebrations. The money was spent to spruce up the temples for the celebrations and for making all necessary arrangements for the devotees.
After the formation of Telangana State in 2014, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government had declared Bonalu as the state festival. It is commonly believed that the festival was first celebrated over 150 years ago following a major cholera outbreak. People believed that the epidemic was due to the anger of the Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to placate her.
The festivities would be organised every Sunday at prominent temples this month. At Mahankali temple in Secunderabad, the festival will be organized on July 25 while the traditional Lal Darwaza Bonalu in the old city of Hyderabad will be held on August 1.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has also greeted Telangana people on the occasion of the beginning of the Bonalu festival celebrations.
With IANS inputs