Bonalu Celebrated With Fervour In Hyderabad; Telangana CM, Kishan Reddy Greet People
Telangana Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Konda Surekha and Dansari Anasuya (Seethakka), along with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and other Congress leaders, visited temples and offered prayers to the goddess
Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy of Coal and Mines and several other leaders on Sunday extended greetings to the people on the occasion of the Bonalu festival.Thousands of devotees thronged the historic Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Temple at Hari Bowli, Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple at Lal Darwaza and other temples in Hyderabad's Old City as Bonalu celebrations were held on a grand scale.
"On the occasion of Bonalu festival, which stands as a symbol of Telangana's culture and tradition, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy extended greetings to the people of the state," the Telangana CMO said in a post on 'X'.
He prayed that Lal Darwaza Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Ammavaru would bless every family with prosperity and well-being.
The CM wished for peace, harmony and prosperity among the people and urged them to celebrate Bonalu with devotion and faith.
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Kishan Reddy offered prayers at different temples in the city.
Kishan Reddy, in a post on 'X', said: "Prayed for peace, prosperity, happiness, and good health for everyone, and for the continued well-being of all."
Telangana Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Konda Surekha and Dansari Anasuya (Seethakka), along with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and other Congress leaders, visited temples and offered prayers to the goddess.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao and actor Vijay Deverakonda were also among those who offered prayers.
A large number of women devotees offered 'bonam' - rice cooked with milk and jaggery - to the goddess.
As part of the ritual, women prepare the offering in new earthen or brass pots decorated with neem leaves, turmeric and vermilion. They carry the pots on their heads and offer them at temples along with bangles and sarees.
Bonalu is an annual festival celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana as a thanksgiving to Goddess Mahankali for the fulfilment of vows. The festival is dedicated to the worship of the goddess and her various forms.
Police made elaborate security arrangements and imposed traffic restrictions in several parts of the city in view of Bonalu processions.
