Hyderabad: Traditional folk festival Bonalu begins with gaiety

Hyderabad: The traditional State Festival of Ashada Masam Bonalu took off in the City on a grand note from the historic Golconda Fort with ministers offering silk clothes and "Bangaru Bonam" to Goddesses Jagadambika on the first day of the month-long event. Incessant rain since morning impacted the celebrations.

Unlike last year, when the celebrations were on a subdued note due to Covid pandemic, the festival on Sunday witnessed about a lakh people. A large number of women and girls, in traditional dresses, thronged to the fort from early morning.

As the day passed on, physical distancing norm went for a toss with many assembling at one place to witness the 'tottela uregimpu' with dances of "potharajus" to "teenmar" tunes of bands.

Mounted police on horses tried to ensure people do not assemble at one place, but it all went for a toss. Though police officials said devotees will not be allowed in to the fort without masks, many removed them after entering the premises.

Initially, about 700 police personnel were deployed to see that no untoward incident takes place. As crowds increased, more forces were posted. But all that could not make the devotees follow safety norms. It was like the pre-Covid times.

The "Utsava Vigrahalu" were taken in a procession from Chota Bazar to the shrine in the fort. Priest Ananta Chary said the month of Ashadam, Bonam starts from the first Thursday or Sunday. Since the "Amavasya" was on Friday, the festival took off on Sunday and will continue till August 8, with the final Bonam. There was no "theertha prasadam" at Chota Bazar because of the Corona situation.

Ministers A Indrakaran Reddy and T Srinivas Yadav offered silk clothes and participated in 23-foot 'Tottela uregimpu' taken out from Langerhouz to Golkonda Fort. They worshipped the deity after offering "Bangaru Bonum". The ministers said "last year we did not celebrate Bonalu as there were more Corona cases.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao provided Rs 15 crore for the grand celebrations this year, they said, adding they prayed to the goddess to see that Corona and other diseases get wiped out.

Earlier in the day, as per tradition, the Kummari Sangham offered the first bonam to Ammavaru. Chairman of MBC Corporation Taduri Srinivas and his family members offered it in a mud pot.

The important dates for Bonalu: Mahankali in Secunderabad on July 25 and Rangam next day, at Lal Darwaza Simhavahini Ammavari Devalayam and across City on August 1 and Rangam on August 2. After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the TRS had declared Bonalu as a State festival. The festivities reflect Telangana culture with performances by the artistes.

The festivities conclude with a procession from Akkanna Madanna temple. The procession led by a caparisoned elephant, carrying the "ghatam" of the goddess, passes through the main thoroughfares of the Old City.