Bonalu Ghattam wends peacefully through Hyderabad’s Old City streets

With robust security arrangements, deployment of SHE Teams and crime units, and coordination across departments, the historic Ghattam procession of Bonalu festival which began at Akkana Madanna Temple in Haribowli on Monday morning, concluded late on Monday night.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand, along with his wife Lalitha Anand, visited the temple and launched the procession. He thanked the temple management and organisers and extended his best wishes for the smooth conduct of the festival.

Tracing the rich legacy of the temple, Mr.Anand said the Sri Akkana Madanna Temple dated back 350 years. “Pujas were performed here during the Qutb Shahi rule in 1675 for nearly a decade. After the death of Akkanna and Madanna, the rituals came to a halt. It was only after Independence that the temple was rebuilt and festivals revived,” he said.

He added that the Bonalu celebrations had been held on a grand scale over the past month, with active support from Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha. “This year’s Bonalu festivities were unprecedented in scale and participation, thanks to their involvement,” Mr.Anand said.

On security, the top cop said preventive measures had been taken to avoid stampedes and other untoward incidents. “We ensured seamless coordination between departments so that devotees are not put to any inconvenience. SHE Teams and crime units were on the ground to curb eve-teasing, pickpocketing and chain-snatching,” he explained.

The Ghattam procession passed through Gowliguda, Lal Darwaza and Shah Ali Banda before culminating at Nayapul.

Senior officials including Additional CP Vikram Singh Mann, Joint CP Traffic Joel Davis, and DCPs Apoorva Rao, Sneha Mehra, Rakshitha Krishna Murthy and Venkateswarlu were present at the event.