A riot of colour, devotion and drumbeats: Bonalu draws lakhs to Ujjaini Mahankali temple

The centuries-old Bonalu festival reached a vibrant high at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad on Sunday, drawing lakhs of devotees from across Telangana for one of its most significant days of celebration.

From the early hours of the morning, devotees began queuing up along the roads leading to the temple, with crowds stretching as far as Sarojini Devi Road. With bonams (earthen pots filled with rice cooked in milk and jaggery, accompanied by curd, sugar, and turmeric water) balanced on their heads, women offered prayers to the goddess.

A major highlight of the day’s festivities was the spirited performance by the Potharajus, bare-chested men daubed in turmeric and vermillion, dancing to the beat of traditional drums. Separate queues were created for women devotees and barricades installed along the route to manage the heavy footfall.

Around 11:30 a.m., Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy arrived at the temple, offering pattu vastralu (silk robes) to the deity and performing special pujas. He received theertha prasadam and blessings from the temple priests and was welcomed with traditional Poornakumbham.

Earlier in the day, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya and Union Minister for Coal and Mines G.Kishan Reddy, accompanied by their families, also paid their respects at the temple. Several other dignitaries, including MPs Anil Kumar Yadav and Etala Rajender, Medchal MLA Malla Reddy, Sanathnagar MLA T. Srinivas Yadav and Hyderabad District Collector Hari Chandana Dasari were present on the occasion.

With lakhs of devotees expected, civic and temple authorities had undertaken elaborate arrangements. Five medical camps were established near the temple, each stocked with essential medicines and staffed by trained medical personnel. Drinking water points were set up along all major approach routes, and sanitation workers were deployed to ensure cleanliness throughout the area.

“We had offered prayers last year for my son’s admission into a master’s programme in the US. Now that our prayers have been answered, we have come here to offer gratitude,” said Sangeeta Yadav, a resident of Tarnaka.

However, the enthusiasm of many devotees was briefly dampened due to restricted temple access caused by heavy VIP movement. At certain checkpoints, minor scuffles broke out as police personnel attempted to control the crowd, preventing some people from proceeding. Public announcements were made over loudspeakers urging VIP vehicles not to park in areas designated for pilgrims and to vacate congested spots promptly.