Balkampet temple set for Bonalu celebration
The shrine holds Bonalu jatara which attracts huge crowds
Women offering bonams, devotees playing drums and people singing hymns of the Goddess — the atmosphere in and around Yellamma Pochamma temple in Balkampet shows that it is gearing up for grand Bonalu celebrations.
The temple, located on the busy Balkampet road, is of course famous for the Bonalu jatara which attracts huge crowds. It is also famous for the belief that the water in a well at the temple can cure all ailments. Due to this, the deity, Goddess Yellamma, considered an incarnation of Goddess Kali, is also called Jala Durga.
Bonalu will be celebrated on July 24 this year, and devotees have begun offering bonams. On Sunday too, several women accompanied by small groups were seen offering the bonam at the temple.
The temple was constructed in the 15th century, renovated in 1919, and has multiple myths and legends associated with it. According to the Telangana tourism department’s website, the deity is also called Jagadamba, who is considered the same as Goddess Renuka. Legend has it that Renuka’s husband Jamadagni, who was angry at her, asked their fifth son, Parashurama, to behead his own mother. Parashurama is considered one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu.
Pleased by his son’s unflinching obedience, Jamadagni gave Parashurama a boon, who then asked him to bring Renuka back to life. During the process, the head of Renuka was restored on the head of another woman — Renuka’s companion who was also killed by Parashurama — and vice versa. While Jamadagni accepted the woman who had Renuka's body, the other form came to be popularly known as Yellamma, which means mother to all.
Apart from Bonalu, the temple also has another important festival — the Ammavari Kalyanam or Kalyanotsavam, the celestial marriage ceremony of the deity. Chairman of the temple board Saibaba Goud said about 3-4 lakh devotees from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were expected to attend the event.