Devotion & drums: Month-long Bonalu festival starts at Golconda Fort with Bonam offering to Goddess Jagadambika

HYDERABAD: The vibrant Bonalu festival, a spirited celebration of Telangana’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage, commenced on Thursday in a grand and devotional atmosphere.

Rooted in centuries-old customs, Bonalu is celebrated during the Ashada masam (July–Aug) to honour the Goddess Mahakali for protecting people from disease and evil. The rituals began with priests invoking divine blessings, followed by a lively procession from Langar Houz to the hilltop Jagadamba temple.

Hundreds of women, clad in vibrant sarees and traditional jewellery, carried intricately decorated earthen pots on their heads. These Bonams—offerings of cooked rice, jaggery, curd, and neem leaves—symbolise devotion and a prayer for protection.

They were accompanied by Potharajus, whip-wielding guardians believed to represent goddess’s brother, dancing energetically to the beats of drums.

Endowments minister Konda Surekha offered ‘pattu vastrams’ to the deity on behalf of the state govt. The festivities were attended by Greater Hyderabad mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, assembly speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, and transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, among others.