Hyderabad: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) announced that 75 special buses will be run from 24 areas of Hyderabad to Golconda Fort for the annual Bonalu festivities at the Jagadambika temple at the Qutbshahi era fort on Sunday, July 7.
“75 special buses #TGSRTC are running for the convenience of devotees going to the historic Golconda Jagadambika bonas on Sunday. Special buses will ply from 24 areas in #Hyderabad .
These special buses are available from Secunderabad, Kachiguda Railway, CBS, Patan Cheru, ECIL, Mehidipatnam, Dilshuknagar, Kukatpally, Charminar, Uppal, Malkajigiri, Patha Boinpally, Malkajigiri, etc. to Golkonda Fort. The organization wants the devotees going to Bona to take advantage of this facility,” TGSRTC MD VC Sajjanar said on X.
Significance of Bonalu festival
According to the Hindu calendar, Bonalu begins with the ‘Ashada’ month celebrating goddess Mahankali.
In Hyderabad, and other parts of Telangana, devotees, especially women make offerings in the form of food to goddesses in specially decorated pots to celebrate Bonalu.
Every year, the month-long festival of Bonalu is held in Hyderabad in three phases.
Golconda Bonalu will be followed by Lashkar Bonalu, which is held at Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad.
The festivities conclude at Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza and at Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli in the old city of Hyderabad.
In Golconda, following the initial ceremony, the second pooja will be held on Thursday, July 11, followed by the third on Sunday, July 14. Subsequent poojas are scheduled for July 18, 21, 25, and 28, as well as August 1 and 4.
It is commonly believed that the festival was first celebrated over 150 years ago following a major Cholera outbreak.
People believed that the epidemic was due to the anger of Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to placate her.
