Hyderabad:�Hundreds of people flocked to the Golconda Fort on Sunday to celebrate the annual Ashada Bonalu festival. The fort bubbled with festivities as devotees offered the Goddess Jagadambika, known locally as Oruganti Yellamma Talli, the first Bonam of the Ashada month, which marks the beginning of Bonalu festivities.
Celebrations began early in the morning, with the temple priests performing rituals amid chants and prayers from devotees who had gathered from across the state as early as 8 am, many with the ceremonial Bonam on their head. Although the Bonalu celebrations began at the temple last week, the main festivities were held on Sunday.
Bonam is a ritualistic meal consisting of rice, jaggery, curd, and other traditional food items placed in pots, which devotees, primarily women, carry on their heads to offer it to the deity. Every year, the Bonalu festivities begin at Golconda Fort, after which the festivities are organised at Secunderabad’s Ujjaini Mahankali Temple next week on July 13, and at Old City’s Lal Darwaza Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple on July 20.
As devotees carried the Bonams and trekked the fort’s 350 steps, the sounds of drums thronged the area. Pothurajus, who symbolises the Goddess’ brother, danced in a trance to the drums music.
Kanakalakshmi, a 60-year-old devotee from Manikonda, said, “I have been offering Bonam to the Goddess for more than 30 years. It is our tradition to offer Bonam to Yellamma Talli, and I will keep doing it until I am alive.”
Potharaju Ram Kumar, who works as a painter by profession, said, “My father was a Potharaju, and I am following his tradition in his footsteps. Since 2016, I have been coming here as a Potharaju to Goddess Yellamma.”
Telangana Information Technology Association (TITA) celebrated Bonalu at Shilpakala Vedika near Hitec City on Sunday. IT professionals from several tech companies participated in the procession from Shilpakala Vedika to Madhapur’s Chinna Peddamma Temple.
Hundreds of devotees held Bonam on their heads and followed in the procession to the temple. Telangana Legislative Council deputy chairman Banda Prakash, BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao and others participated in the procession as well.
