Devotees Flock to Golconda Fort for Bonalu Celebrations on Sunday
Hundreds of devotees gathered at the Sri Jagadambika Yellamma Temple in Golconda Fort to offer Bonam and mark the beginning of Hyderabad's Bonalu festivities.
Hundreds of devotees thronged the Golconda fort on Sunday to participate in the annual Bonalu celebrations at the Sri Jagadambika Yellamma Temple. Women dressed in traditional attire carried decorated Bonam pots containing cooked rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves as offerings — called bonam — to the goddess.
Bonalu, one of Telangana’s most important cultural and religious festivals, is celebrated during the Hindu month of Ashada.
The festivities at the Jagadambika Yellamma temple are regarded as the starting point of Hyderabad’s Bonalu festivities. The celebrations will move to Secunderabad Ujjaini Mahankali temple on July 26 and the Lal Darwaza Simhavanihi Mahankali Temple on August 2.
The atmosphere was filled with devotional songs, drumbeats and chants praising the goddess. Several Joginis and Potharajus, who are considered an integral part of Bonalu traditions, participated in colourful processions.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, Lakshmi Bai, who was carrying a Bonam to the temple, said, “I have been coming to Golconda Bonalu for more than 20 years, since I was a child. Climbing the fort and offering a Bonam to the goddess gives me peace and strength.”
Harini, a Jogini from Musheerabad, said, “Serving the goddess during Bonalu is a sacred responsibility. We dance and pray with devotion, seeking her blessings for everyone.”
Police personnel were deployed across the fort, while traffic restrictions were implemented in the surrounding areas to regulate the movement of devotees and ensure the smooth conduct of the celebrations.
