Scores attend Bonalu fest

Devotees give offerings at temples amidst tight security

Bonalu—a state festival—was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in the Old City of Hyderabad on Sunday. A large number of devotees thronged the Simhavahini Mahakali temple at Lal Darwaza, Akkanna Madanna Mahakali temple at Haribowli and other Mahakali temples in the area. The presence of an elephant named Laxmi which was brought from the Virupaksheshwara Temple in Hampi in the procession added to the festivities.

Endowments Minister A. Indrakaran Reddy offered silk clothes to the deity on behalf of the government. Home minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali and animal husbandry minister T. Srinivas Yadav also participated in the celebrations.

“For the first time, the state government provided funds to private temples on the occasion of Bonalu. Earlier, donors were giving money to private temples but now the government has come forward to help them,” he said.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and film star-turned-politician Vijayashanti also offered prayers. The latter vowed to offer a golden vessel to the deity if the BJP was elected to power in 2023 elections. She said the state was in the throes of an autocratic rule led by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

Thousands of devotees including politicians from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh offered prayers. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president A. Revanth Reddy and YSR Congress Party MLA from Andhra Pradesh Undavalli Sridevi were among other prominent visitors. Sridevi turned up with a golden vessel. She said she was a resident of Hyderabad as she had a medical practice here. She came as a representative of the AP government.

Special queues were made for women, who were seen carrying bonams on their heads. The police diverted vehicular traffic at several points to ensure smooth conduct of the festivities. More than 8,000 policemen were deployed as part of the massive security arrangements.

Meanwhile, in view of Bonalu in the Old City, all the wine shops in Hyderabad were closed for two days, said the state excise department in a release. Liquor shops, bars, and restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday.

— R. PAVAN, P. SURENDRA, S. SURENDER REDDY Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav takes blessings of an elephant at Sabjimandi. TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy and BJP state president Bandi Sanjay have a darshan at Mahankali temple at Haribowli, Shalibanda on Sunday.

— P. SURENDRA A Potharaju dances at the Bonalu festival celebrations at the Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple at Haribowli in Shalibanda, Hyderabad, on Sunday.