HYDERABAD: Gaiety, divinity and festive fervour marked this year’s grand Bonalu celebrations by people from all walks of life across temples here on Sunday.
Beats of brass bands, spontaneous dances, processions from and to temples and women in traditional attire carrying the Bonam were the stand out features, a hallmark of every Bonalu.
Devotees thronged Simhavahini temple at Lal Darwaja, Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple at Uppuguda, Mahankali temple in Gowliguda, Mahankali temple at Musheerabad and Darbar Maisamma in Karwan.
Edla Hari Babu Yadav of Musheerabad, said, “After starting from the Mahankali temple near my place, our family visited around 25 temples all over the city and took blessings of the goddess.”
Former Indian cricket captain Mithali Raj offered prayers at Simhavahini temple, which drew thousands of devotees all through the day.
Raj Bhavan was decked up in keeping with the festive spirit. Apart from renditions of bonalu folk songs, the procession of women staff members was led by Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan carrying the traditional bonam on her head and offering it to the presiding deity Nalla Pochamma inside the Raj Bhavan premises.
Special puja was performed at Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mandiram, Haribowli, which is set for a grand Matha Ghatan procession till Nayapul on the famed elephant Rupavathi. Hyderabad Commissioner of police C.V. Anand will flag-off the procession at 4 pm.
