Old City Gears Up for Colourful Bonalu Celebrations amid Tight Security

The lanes and bylanes in the old city especially in Lal Darwaza, Sultan Shahi, Hari Bowli, Bela and Uppuguda among others areas wore a festive look as the temple committees decked up with colourful lights and colour.

A large number of devotees are expected to turn up at Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza, Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli and Sri Mahankali temple in Uppuguda.

The committees in coordination with the police department already made necessary arrangements to ensure proper queue enabling devotees to have a hassle-free dashanam at the temples. Separate queues are also provided for the women carrying ‘Bonam’

Vijay Devarakonda and his family will offer prayers at Simhavahini Mahankali temple, while Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar will offer silk clothes to the goddess Mahankali at 10 am. Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao and his family will also offer prayers at the temple.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on Saturday, Sri Simhavahini Temple Committee Chairman Maruthi Yadav said all the arrangements were made for the smooth conduct of the festival. The celebrations would be conducted with ‘ghatam’ processions from all the temples in the old city starting from Lal Darwaza to Musi River near Afzalgunj on Monday, he said.

On its part, the police department has made elaborate security arrangements for the successful conduct of the celebrations. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar already visited the temple and reviewed arrangements.

Additional police forces were deployed at the strategic locations in the old city and a constant vigil is being maintained through surveillance cameras to keep a tab on those moving suspiciously, officials said.