Lashkar Bonalu: Telangana CM offers silk robes to Goddess Ujjaini Mahankali

Hyderabad, July 13 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy offered silk robes to Goddess Ujjaini Mahankali in Secunderabad on Sunday on the occasion of Lashkar Bonalu.

The Chief Minister, along with Endowments Minister Konda Surekha and some other Cabinet colleagues, participated in the festival, which symbolises the unique culture of Telangana.

The festivities began amid traditional fanfare and gaiety with thousands of devotees offering prayers at the Ujjaini Mahankali temple.

Minister Surekha presented 'Bonam' to the deity. Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Adluri Laxman, CM's advisor Vem Narender Reddy, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, MLAs and other leaders participated in the celebrations.

The Chief Minister presented the silk robes to the deity on behalf of the state government and participated in a special puja.

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and his wife also had darshan of Goddess Ujjaini Mahankali. He said he prayed for the good health, prosperity and happiness of the devotees.

Women devotees offered 'Bonam', containing cooked rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves to Goddess Mahankali.

The temple and streets around it wore a festive look as the women clad in their best participated in various cultural programmes.

Authorities made elaborate arrangements for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the celebrations. Separate queues were formed for women devotees.

The festival will conclude on Monday with the famous 'Rangam', where predictions about the state's future will be made by an unmarried woman, followed by the Ghatam procession. This will be followed by a procession of a caparisoned elephant carrying a portrait of the deity. Smeared with turmeric and vermilion, the potharajus dance to rhythmic drum beats in the procession that will pass through various areas.

Ashada Bonalu is a festival held in the month of Ashada, according to the Hindu calendar, celebrating Goddess Mahankali. Devotees, especially women, make offerings in the form of food in specially decorated pots.

During the festival, people also hold 'rangam' or forecasting the future, organise processions and cultural events.

Bonalu in Secunderabad, or Lashkar Bonalu as it is called, is the second phase of the nearly month-long traditional festival in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

The festival began at the Jagadambika Temple on the Golconda Fort.

The festivities at Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza and Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli in the old city of Hyderabad will be held next Sunday.

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 Goddess Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to placate her.

After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the then TRS government had declared Bonalu as the state festival.

--IANS

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