Hyderabad: Bonalu performed on subdued note

Hyderabad: The raging Covid-19 has applied brakes on the tradition of an elephant carrying Matha Ghatam deity as part of the 72nd annual Bonalu festivities in Old City. The procession is taken out the Akkanna Maddanna Mahankali temple in Hari Bowli every year.

The second day of the annual Bonalu started with a grand pooja in the early morning, which was attended by the temple committees in Mahankali temples in Old City. Later, around 11 am the Pothuraju Swagatham held out by the temple committee to the Mahankali temples.

The Matha Ghatam deity was taken out a goods carrier and Shri Mahankali Jathara was by all means a low-key affair. The procession went past Maissamma Mahankali temple in Bela, and covered Nehru Statue, Lal Darwaza X Roads, Shahalibanda, Charminar, Pattarghatti, Madina and culminated at the Matha temple near musi river in Nayapul peacefully. All along, the roads were deserted and the revellers kept off roads due to the pandemic fear.

Rangam was performed by Bhavishyawani Anuradha. She predicted that the Mother Goddess would save all, but people were suffering for their own deeds and asked the devotees to perform homam, havan etc. She gave blessings to the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for sanctioning an amount of Rs 10 crore for Simhavahini Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza.

Additional CP Tarun Joshi, Additional CP (Crime) Shika Goel, DCP (traffic) K Babu Rao, In-charge DCP south zone Avinash Mohanthy, Additional DCP Falaknuma M A Rashed and other officers oversaw the arrangements.