Bonalu: Telangana's roaring assertion of identity, resilience, and unbroken tradition

Hans India

23-06-2025

Hyderabad: As the blistering sun of Ashada Masam bears down on Telangana, the lanes of Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and smaller towns across the state erupt in vibrant colour, thunderous drumbeats, and intoxicating devotion. Bonalu, a centuries-old celebration dedicated to Goddess Mahankali, returns each year with uncontainable spiritual intensity and cultural pride. This is not merely a festival—it is an explosion of Telangana's collective memory, spirit, and soul.
Rooted in history and born of belief, Bonalu traces back to the 19th Century, when plague haunted Hyderabad. In desperation, soldiers posted in Ujjain prayed to the powerful Goddess Mahankali to save their families back home. They vowed to offer her 'Bonam'—a meal of rice cooked with jaggery, curd, and spices served in decorated brass pots—if their wish was fulfilled. Miraculously, the plague faded, and the vow birthed what is now one of Telangana's grandest festivals.
From early July, women dressed in shimmering saris carry the sacred Bonam pots on their heads, often balancing neem leaves and a burning lamp atop them. Their processions are flanked by Pothurajus—bare-bodied, turmeric-smeared guardians who stomp and twirl in warrior-like frenzy to protect the devotees. Temples are decked in lights, and city streets become live canvases of devotion as drummers, dancers, and onlookers surge forward in celebration.
Each Sunday of Ashada month marks a new phase, culminating in the final grand procession from Lal Darwaza and Ujjaini Mahankali temples. The immersion of the goddess's idol marks the end, but not without echoing chants, swirling smoke, and a collective promise to welcome her again next year. Bonalu, thus, is not just worship—it is Telangana's roaring assertion of identity, resilience, and unbroken tradition.