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Hans India
16 hours ago
- General
- Hans India
Mahakali temple decked up for Lashkar Bonalu
Hyderabad: The two-day Bonalu festivities at the Ujjaini Mahakali temple in Secunderabad are scheduled for July 13 and 14. Marking the peak of Ashada month celebration, an estimated 40 lakh devotees are expected to attend the event. According to organisers, during the Ashada month, the Bonalu festival, also known as Lashkar bonalu transforms this temple into a spectacular hub of devotion. Devotees from across India and even from overseas plan their annual visits to coincide with these celebrations, ensuring they pay homage to the goddess during this auspicious time. The entire atmosphere comes alive with the chants of priests, the rhythmic beat of Pothurajus, vibrant dance performances, colorful processions of the goddess's symbolic pots, the media buzz, round-the-clock efforts by the police, decoration of temple and the watchful presence of political leaders. Together, they create an eightfold fortress of devotion and joy around the temple. In the temple, Chandi Devi and Bala Devi stand to Mahakali's left. Remarkably, during the temple's construction, an idol of Manikyalamma was unearthed and consecrated to Mahakali Mata's right. Opposite her sits Matamma, and nearby is Veerabhadra Swamy. Much like the radiant face of the goddess, the entire temple courtyard glows with a divine serenity, always brimming with devoted worshippers. A popular belief holds that during Ashada, the goddess and her 'sisters' visit their maternal home, blessing everyone in their community. Symbolically, the goddess's decorated pots are carried door-to-door, receiving prayers and offerings from every household and showering blessings in return. On the main day of the festival on Sunday, Mahakali Mata's divine form appears as radiant and luminous as moonlight, much like a cherished daughter returning home after a long time away. An equally remarkable tradition is the revered prophecy delivered by Jogini Swarnalatha. Every Monday during the festival, the highly anticipated Rangam ceremony takes place. Swarnalatha, who lives a celibate life entirely devoted to the goddess, invokes Mahakali to speak through her. Her words are keenly awaited not only by thousands of devotees but also by state officials, who listen to her divine counsel with great respect.
New Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Golconda sways to Bonalu fervour
HYDERABAD: The centuries-old Golconda Fort was filled with colour, devotion and music as thousands of devotees gathered on Sunday, the first Sunday of the month-long Bonalu festival in Hyderabad. Women, young girls and transgender persons offered the traditional Bonam — a decorated pot filled with rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves — to Goddess Jagadamba, the presiding deity of the Golconda temple. Leading the procession were the Pothurajus — bare-chested, smeared in turmeric and vermillion — who danced to drum beats, clearing the way for the goddess symbolically and spiritually. With whips in hand, they stomped in rhythm with the dappu drums. Chants of 'Jai Mata Di' and 'Amma Bonalu' echoed through the fort as the procession began early and continued late into the night. Each Bonam, carried on the head, symbolised gratitude, protection and the fulfilment of vows. Sharanya, a cross-dresser carrying the Bonam, said: 'I have been coming here for 10 years. This is where the first Bonam in the city begins. Bonam means bhojanam — meal. When the goddess feeds us all year, why can't we offer her a meal in return? This is why the Bonam is made from freshly harvested crops.' Sharanya added: 'Farmers do not eat the new harvest until it is offered to the goddess. Most offerings include food that cools the body, like curd rice or jaggery. We go into a trance when the goddess enters us and then carry the Bonam. It can be turmeric rice, pachipulusu, jaggery rice or toddy. During Ashada Masam, it is believed the goddess returns to her maternal home, and these offerings welcome her and seek her blessings for health and prosperity.'
Hans India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Bonalu: Telangana's roaring assertion of identity, resilience, and unbroken tradition
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.
