A festive atmosphere prevailed in Hyderabad especially in parts of Old city as the annual Bonalu (बोनालू) festival during the Hindu Lunar month of Ashada Masam (आषाड़ा मासम) was celebrated yesterday. From the early hours, devotees started thronging the temples. Long queues were witnessed at Akkana Madanna temple, Hari Bowli, Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple at Lal Darwaza, and other nearby temples in Old City.
Dressed in traditional best, women were seen carrying ‘Bonam’, on their heads and making an offering to the deity at the temples. Bonam means, sweetened meal in a pot. The streets reverberated with devotional songs even as folk artists danced to the beats of folk music.
People from other parts of the city also visited the old city for ‘darshan’ of Goddess Mahankali and to be a part of the festive atmosphere. A long serpentine queue was witnessed at Bhagya Lakshmi temple at Charminar.
Among those who visited the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple were Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, state Endowments Minister, A Indrakaran Reddy, state Ministers including Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Mohd Mahmood Ali and Hyderabad Mayor, Gadwal Vijaylaxm besides leaders from political parties.
