Lakhs of devotees take part in vibrant Bonalu
Secunderabad’s Ujjain Mahankali Ammavari temple became abuzz with Lashkar Bonams. A spiritual atmosphere emanated in the vicinity of the temple with devotees flocking from early morning. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy visited the Goddess and offered silk clothes. Khairathabad MLA Danam Nagender, MLC Balmoori Venkat, Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav and several other leaders accompanied the CM.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar offered the first Bonam to Ammavaru with his family in the early hours. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy, Rajya Sabha MP Laxman and others had a darshan of Ammavaru.
In the early morning Maha Harati, Kunkuma and Pushpa Archanas were performed to Goddess.
Minister Ponnam revealed that he prayed Goddesses that the farmers to become rich with good crops and dairy. He said that the Telangana State government recognises Mahankali bonams as a State festival and organises them with grandeur.
Women dressed in their best traditional attire carrying bonams (a pot carrying rice, turmeric powder, jaggery, curd and covered with neam leaves and a lamp placed on it) on their heads were seen standing in the queue line. Processions with ‘potharaju’ dancing to the beat of drums and tower-shaped structures made of paper and sticks filled the lane.
Hyderabad Commissioner of Police K Sreenivasa Reddy, said, “We have made elaborate security arrangements to prevent untoward incidents. Around 1,500 police officials are been deployed along with volunteers (those who are from the various educational institutions and NGOS). Also, 100 surveillance cameras are installed from which footage is monitored from the control room in Mahankali police station. This year six dedicated queue lines along with special arrangements have been made for those carrying bonam offerings inside the temple.
According to temple authorities, the two-day festivities at the temple would include ‘Rangam’ rendered by a maiden Mathangi Swarnalatha on Monday. In trance, she would answer questions of devotees on what is in store for the State in the year ahead and it will be followed by the Ghatam procession. This year, elephant Rupavathi from Karnataka would take part in the procession.
