Politicians and common people perform special pujas to mark the Bonalu Jatara at Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad.
Thousands of devotees, including Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, opposition leaders N Chandrababu Naidu and Y S Vijayamma, and several ministers and legislators, on Sunday, performed special pujas to mark the Bonalu Jatara at Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad.
Kiran Kumar Reddy was accorded a traditional welcome by the temple authorities when he reached the place on Sunday morning. He offered the deity, Goddess Mahakali, silk clothes.
Thousands of devotees also made a beeline for the temple from the early hours of Sunday. The occasion was marked by traditional pomp and religious fervour.
Bonalu is an annual festival celebrated throughout Telangana region, especially in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Bonalu, or Mahakali Bonalu Jatara, is a thanksgiving festival dedicated to Goddess Mahakali, who is also worshipped as Mysamma, Yellamma (Renuka Mata), Pochamma, Peddamma, Poleramma, Maramma and Ankalamma.
Ujjaini Mahankali Temple Bonalu Jatara, also known as Lashkar Bonalu, is an annual event celebrated for two days in the Telugu Ashada Maasam.
"Bonam" means "bhojanaalu", or "meal" in Telugu, the native language. In this festival, it signifies an offering to Mahankali.
During the festival, women bring their offerings in colourful clay pots decorated with neem leaves and a diya on the top. They carry the clay pots on their head, proceed towards a Mahakali temple, and perform special pujas to offer "bonam" to the Goddess.
The origins of the festival can be traced to 1869, when the people of Hyderabad and Secunderabad were struck by plague. Many people had died, and with many more afflicted by the dreaded disease, the people believed that the epidemic was a result of the Goddess' anger. Bonalu was started to pacify the Goddess Mahankali. It is said that after the Bonalu was offered that year, the scourge soon started to diminish, and ended eventually. (INN)