Hyderabad: The annual Hyderabad Old City Bonalu festival will conclude on Monday, August 10, with a traditional procession through some of the historic areas of the city.
The procession will pass through Lal Darwaza, Shahalibanda, Charminar and Pathergatti before reaching the Nayapul temple near the Musi River.
Around 2,000 police personnel have been deployed along the procession route as part of the security arrangements.
Bonalu procession and Rangam today
The two-day celebrations will conclude with Rangam, the traditional oracle prediction ceremony at the Akkanna Madanna temple.
This will be followed by a combined procession carrying the ghatam of Goddess Mahankali on a caparisoned elephant.
The procession will move through the main roads of the Old City, including the historic Charminar. It will then reach the Delhi Darwaza Matha Temple near the Musi River, where the ghatam will be immersed.
Devotees celebrate Bonalu festival in Hyderabad
On Sunday, large numbers of devotees visited Mahankali temples across Hyderabad to celebrate Bonalu with traditional devotion and enthusiasm.
Special prayers were conducted at the Simhavahini Mahankali Temple in Lal Darwaza as part of the 118th annual Bonalu celebrations.
Bonalu is dedicated to Goddess Mahankali, also known as Kali. The festival is associated with prayers for protection from evil and peace.
Large numbers of women were among the devotees who waited in queues at temples to offer Bonalu. The offering consists of cooked rice, jaggery, curd and turmeric water, carried in steel or clay pots on their heads.
Bonalu declared Telangana state festival
Bonalu was declared a state festival after Telangana was formed in 2014. The festival is celebrated on a large scale across parts of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Bonalu is observed during the Ashadam month and is also known as Ashada Jatra Utsavalu. It is celebrated on four Sundays at different locations in the twin cities.
The festival was celebrated in Secunderabad last Sunday, where Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy made an offering.
Liquor shops closed during Bonalu festival in Hyderabad
Authorities ordered the closure of liquor shops, bars, restaurants and toddy outlets in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda Commissionerates in view of the festival.
The restrictions were part of the arrangements for the Bonalu celebrations.
The festival is believed to have started more than 150 years ago following a major cholera outbreak.
According to the belief associated with the festival, people attributed the epidemic to the anger of Goddess Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to seek her blessings and protection.
The Old City celebrations will end with the traditional procession and immersion of the Mahankali ghatam near the Musi River.
