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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Secunderabad streets soak in Bonalu spirit
HYDERABAD: The lanes of Secunderabad transformed into a vibrant canvas of devotion and tradition on Sunday as the two-day grand Lashkar Bonalu celebrations began at the historic Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple. With the sun beating down harshly, thousands of devotees — young and old — braved the heat to offer prayers and take part in one of Telangana's most significant folk festivals. From early morning at 3 am, hundreds of women, draped in bright traditional sarees and adorned with flowers, made their way through the crowded streets carrying Bonams — decorated clay pots filled with rice, jaggery, curd, turmeric, and neem leaves, with a small lit lamp on top of their heads. Local devotees expressed their emotional connection to the festival. Rupa Sarath, from Uppal, said, 'I have been coming here for 15 years. No matter how hot it gets, offering a Bonam gives me peace.' Ruthika, a young woman from Bholakpur, said, 'It's part of my life since childhood. We've grown up coming to Bonalu. Even the heat can't stop us.' Eventually, as the sun set, the streets grew busier and livelier. Potharajus, the traditional guardians of the goddess, danced to drumbeats, covered in turmeric and striking their whips, creating energy in the crowd. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy visited the temple to offer pattu vastralu (silk clothes) to the goddess and participated in special pujas. He was welcomed with a traditional Poornakumbham by temple priests and greeted by devotees. Accompanying him were Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy, Konda Surekha, Danasari Anasuya, and CM's Advisor Vem Narender Reddy.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
A riot of colour, devotion and drumbeats: Bonalu draws lakhs to Ujjaini Mahankali temple
The centuries-old Bonalu festival reached a vibrant high at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad on Sunday, drawing lakhs of devotees from across Telangana for one of its most significant days of celebration. From the early hours of the morning, devotees began queuing up along the roads leading to the temple, with crowds stretching as far as Sarojini Devi Road. With bonams (earthen pots filled with rice cooked in milk and jaggery, accompanied by curd, sugar, and turmeric water) balanced on their heads, women offered prayers to the goddess. A major highlight of the day's festivities was the spirited performance by the Potharajus, bare-chested men daubed in turmeric and vermillion, dancing to the beat of traditional drums. Separate queues were created for women devotees and barricades installed along the route to manage the heavy footfall. Around 11:30 a.m., Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy arrived at the temple, offering pattu vastralu (silk robes) to the deity and performing special pujas. He received theertha prasadam and blessings from the temple priests and was welcomed with traditional Poornakumbham. Earlier in the day, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Union Minister for Coal and Mines Reddy, accompanied by their families, also paid their respects at the temple. Several other dignitaries, including MPs Anil Kumar Yadav and Etala Rajender, Medchal MLA Malla Reddy, Sanathnagar MLA T. Srinivas Yadav and Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana Dasari were present on the occasion. With lakhs of devotees expected, civic and temple authorities had undertaken elaborate arrangements. Five medical camps were established near the temple, each stocked with essential medicines and staffed by trained medical personnel. Drinking water points were set up along all major approach routes, and sanitation workers were deployed to ensure cleanliness throughout the area. 'We had offered prayers last year for my son's admission into a master's programme in the US. Now that our prayers have been answered, we have come here to offer gratitude,' said Sangeeta Yadav, a resident of Tarnaka. However, the enthusiasm of many devotees was briefly dampened due to restricted temple access caused by heavy VIP movement. At certain checkpoints, minor scuffles broke out as police personnel attempted to control the crowd, preventing some people from proceeding. Public announcements were made over loudspeakers urging VIP vehicles not to park in areas designated for pilgrims and to vacate congested spots promptly.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
A.P. CM takes part in Gangamma temple jatara in Kuppam, offers silk vastrams to deity
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Nara Bhuvaneswari participated in the annual jatara at Sri Prasanna Tirupati Gangamma temple in Kuppam on Wednesday. The couple landed at the grounds of Dravidian University on the Kuppam outskirts by helicopter from Bengaluru. Mr. Naidu was accorded a warm welcome by the officials, people of Kuppam Assembly constituency and the TDP cadres. Mr. Naidu reached the Gangamma temple, where the temple priests welcomed him with a traditional Poornakumbham. He offered prayers and presented silk garments (pattu vastrams) to the presiding deity. Mr. Naidu exchanged pleasantries with the TDP cadres before leaving for Bengaluru airport from the helipad. District Collector Sumit Kumar, SP Manikanta Chandolu, and senior TDP leaders were present. The Kuppam Jatara is a major festival of Sri Prasanna Tirupati Gangamma, considered the sister of Lord Venkateswara. The history of the jatara dates back to the 17th century and the festival has been receiving the patronage of the rulers of Telugu, Kannada and Tamil dynasties, followed by the British Raj. On Tuesday evening, a palanquin carrying the idol's head was taken out in a grand procession from Pedda Bavi at Pathapeta to the main temple. The procession will continue for over 24 hours, covering all wards in the Kuppam municipality. An estimated 3 lakh people from Kuppam, and neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Karnataka thronged the venue during the festival. Till Wednesday noon, thousands of villagers offered prayers to the processional deity. The festival was concluded with the Viswaroopa Darshan of the Goddess on Wednesday.
