Akkanna Madanna Temple Gears up for Bonalu
The Bonalu offering will be performed on Sunday.
Hyderabad: The historic Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple in Haribowli, Old City, is gearing up to celebrate its 77th Bonalu festival this Sunday. Festivities at the temple began on July 11 with Kalasa Sthapana and have since included Lakshita Archana Puja, Maha Ghatam procession, Bilwarchana and Rudra Trishati Homam.
The temple will host a Jai Matha Di Jagran Chowki and Chappan Bhog on Tuesday, followed by Chandi Homam on Saturday. The Bonalu offering will be performed on Sunday. The temple has witnessed a steady stream of devotees participating in the rituals with devotion. Organisers said that during the five Fridays of the Ashadam month, large numbers of women join in the Kumkuma Archana, offering prayers with deep reverence.
The temple’s origins date back to the 17th century during the reign of the Golconda ruler Tanashah. Akkanna, the commander-in-chief, and his brother Madanna, the Prime Minister, built the temple in their private residence, or Devdi, where they worshipped the goddess. The temple remained inaccessible to the public for centuries.
In September 1948, during police action, the temple was rediscovered while the Devdi wall was being demolished. Mir Mohammed Anwar Ali Khaja of Balda, the then-owner of the Devdi, handed over the site to the public and contributed to its restoration. He not only donated land for the temple's construction but also gave `50 to support the effort. During the restoration, idols, sacred lamps (Jyoti), puja utensils, religious manuscripts and traditional cradles (Thotilas) were recovered.
Temple authorities highlighted this as a symbol of the city’s Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, noting that Khaja Balda’s gesture of allowing the temple to be built on his premises reflected communal harmony. Since then, Bonalu and the Mahankali Jatara have been celebrated annually during Ashadam, drawing devotees from across the city.
