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The Hyderabad Old City Bonalu celebrations concluded peacefully on Monday, August 10, with the traditional Mahankali Ghatam procession passing through Lal Darwaza, Shahalibanda, Charminar and Pathergatti amid elaborate security arrangements and the deployment of around 2,000 police personnel.
Hyderabad, August 10 (Najaf Ali Shoukat-PMI): The annual Bonalu celebrations in Hyderabad’s Old City concluded on Monday, August 10, with a grand and traditional procession that passed through several historic parts of the city amid elaborate security arrangements.
The colourful procession began after the traditional Rangam ceremony at the Akkanna Madanna Temple and moved through key areas of the Old City, including Lal Darwaza, Shahalibanda, Charminar and Pathergatti. The procession later proceeded towards the Musi River before reaching the designated immersion point.
A major attraction of the celebrations was the Ghatam procession of Goddess Mahankali, which was carried on a specially decorated elephant. Devotees accompanied the procession as it moved through the busy streets of the Old City.
The procession passed through the historic Charminar area and other major roads before reaching the Delhi Darwaza Matha Temple near the Musi River, where the Ghatam was immersed as per tradition.
Rangam Ceremony Marks End of Celebrations
The two-day Old City Bonalu celebrations concluded with Rangam, a traditional oracle ceremony associated with the festival. The ceremony was held at the Akkanna Madanna Temple, where the Rangam tradition forms an important part of the concluding rituals.
The ceremony was followed by the combined Ghatam procession, drawing large numbers of devotees and spectators along the route.
Thousands of Devotees Participate
On Sunday, thousands of devotees visited Mahankali temples across Hyderabad to offer prayers and participate in the festivities.
At the historic Simhavahini Mahankali Temple in Lal Darwaza, special prayers were conducted as part of the temple’s 118th annual Bonalu celebrations. Large numbers of women devotees were seen waiting in long queues to offer Bonalu to Goddess Mahankali.
The traditional Bonam consists of cooked rice, jaggery, curd and turmeric water, which devotees carry in decorated steel or clay pots on their heads as an offering to the goddess.
The festival is dedicated to Goddess Mahankali, a form of Goddess Kali, and is traditionally associated with prayers for protection from disease, evil and other hardships, as well as peace and prosperity for the community.
Bonalu Declared Telangana State Festival
Bonalu is one of Telangana’s major traditional festivals and was declared a state festival after the formation of Telangana in 2014.
The festival is celebrated during the month of Ashadam and is also known as Ashada Jatara Utsavalu. In Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Bonalu celebrations are traditionally held on four Sundays at different temples and locations.
The festival was also celebrated on a large scale in Secunderabad the previous Sunday, with Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy participating in the celebrations and offering Bonam.
Elaborate Security Arrangements
Given the large crowds expected during the Old City procession, police authorities made extensive security arrangements along the route.
Around 2,000 police personnel were deployed at strategic points to regulate the movement of devotees, maintain law and order and manage traffic during the procession.
Security personnel were positioned along the major stretches of the route, particularly around Lal Darwaza, Shahalibanda, Charminar, Pathergatti and the Musi River area.
Authorities also imposed restrictions on the sale of liquor during the festival. Liquor shops, bars, restaurants and toddy outlets in the Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda Commissionerates were ordered to remain closed as part of the security and law-and-order arrangements.
A Festival Rooted in Tradition
Bonalu has been celebrated in Hyderabad for more than a century and remains deeply connected with the cultural and religious traditions of Telangana.
According to popular belief, the tradition began more than 150 years ago following a major cholera outbreak. Devotees believed that the epidemic was linked to the anger of Goddess Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to seek her blessings and protection.
The Old City celebrations once again brought together thousands of devotees, with traditional rituals, processions and devotional activities continuing throughout the festivities.
The immersion of the Mahankali Ghatam near the Musi River marked the traditional conclusion of the Old City Bonalu celebrations, bringing this year’s festivities to an end.
Those who participated in the Ghatam procession included Additional Commissioner of Police (Crimes) M. Srinivas, IPS; Additional Commissioner of Police (Law & Order) Tafseer Iqbal, IPS; DCP Task Force Vaibhav Gaikwad, IPS; DCP Charminar Zone Khare Kiran Prabhakar, IPS; DCP CAR Headquarters R. Venkateshwarlu; Temple Committee Chairman Dr. Prabhakar; General Secretary Dattatreya; Adviser Rajaratnam; and other members of the temple committee. (pressmediaofindia.com)
