Hyderabad: The traditional festivities of the Bonalu festival season began in Hyderabad on Sunday. The festivities began with devotees offering Bonalu to the goddess Jagadambika at her temple at Golconda. The Ashada Bonalu that started today will continue till the 8th of next month.
Devotees pay obeisance to the goddess by offering Bonalu every Sunday and Thursday at the temple. The authorities have set up tight security in view of the festivities. More than 600 police personnel have been deployed on the security detail. Authorities are also urging pilgrims to adhere to covid appropriate behaviour.
Bonalu festival starts in Hyderabad The Jagadamba Temple committee presented the first Bonam to goddess Jagadamba on Sunday. State ministers Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Indra Karan Reddy also participated in the festivities.
Ashada Bonalu is an annual festival, celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana, held in the month of Ashada, according to the Hindu calendar, celebrating Goddess Mahankali.
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The origin of the festival traces back to the early 19th century when the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad were struggling with an outbreak of plague leading to the death of thousands of people. Just before the outbreak, a military battalion was deployed to Ujjain. Concerned about the plague back home, the military battalion offered prayers at the Mahankaali Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. The battalion pledged to install an idol of Mahakaali back in Secunderabad if the goddess relieved the people of the plague menace.
People believe that Mahankaali halted the spread of the disease while the military battalion returned and installed an idol of the goddess and offered Bonalu to her, hence starting the tradition.
