Bonalu
bonalu telugu బోనాలు traditional hindu festival centered goddess mahakali telangana festival celebrated annually twin city hyderabad secunderabad well part state celebrated month ashada masam around july andor august special poojas worship ceremony performed yellamma one many regional form mahakali first last day festival festival also considered thanksgiving goddess fulfillment vow word bonam contraction word bhojanam sanskrit loanword mean meal feast telugu offering mother goddess woman prepare rice cooked milk jaggery new brass earthen pot adorned neem leaf turmeric vermilion lit lamp top pot woman carry pot head make offering bonam along turmericvermilion bangle sari mother goddess across temple bonalu involves worship mother goddess regional form like maisamma pochamma yellamma peddhamma dokkalamma ankalamma poleramma maremma nookalamma origin festival traced back th century erstwhile hyderabad state linked regimental bazaar twin city hyderabad secunderabad year plague broke twin city took life thousand people military battalion hyderabad deployed ujjaini famous temple shiva form mahakaleshwara military battalion hyderabad got news epidemic hit native land became fearful life safety family soldier posted ujjaini prayed mother goddess mahakali temple – ujjaini madhya pradesh battalion said prayed goddess mahakali kill plague goddess would install idol goddess mahakali city returned home believed goddess mahakali destroyed disease kept pestilence away battalion returned homeland built ujjaini mahakali temple installed idol goddess fulfilment vow followed offering bonalu became tradition followed people telangana also version regarding origin festival include mythological story time goddess mahakali come back parental home aashada maasam hindu month aashaada come period late june august make period optimal time offer bonalu goddess practice comparable grand welcome given married daughter return parent home year vacation pampered parent bonalu celebrated various part twin city hyderabad first sunday aashadham celebration held jagadamba temple golconda fort second sunday balkampet yellamma temple balkampet ujjaini mahakali temple gandimaisamma temple regimental bazar secunderabad third sunday pochamma katta maisamma temple chilkalguda matheswari temple lal darwaza old city hyderabad akkanna madanna temple haribowli muthyalamma temple shah ali banda among temple bonalu celebrated every year lakh devotee congregate pay obeisance mahakali special occasion woman dress traditional sari jewel accessory teenage girl wear half sarislehenga choli ornament bring traditional grace attire tranced woman dance balancing pot bonam rhythmic beat drum honour local goddess ward evil spirit olden day people used sacrifice male buffalo front temple replaced sacrifice rooster woman carrying bonalu believed possess spirit mother goddess go towards temple people pour water foot pacify spirit believed aggressive every group devotee offer thottelu small colorful paper structure supported stick mark respect goddess bonalu celebration lashkar secunderabad one prominent bonalu celebration festival begin first sunday hindu month ashada known edurukolu celebrated homecoming goddess form ghatam third sunday ashada month bonalu jatara celebrated following monday rangam oracle ghatam saganamputa celebrated festivity come end prominent temple secunderabad lashkar bonalu include sri ujjaini mahakali devasthanam sri gandimaissamma temple sri devi pochamma temple sri muthyalamma temple sri peddamma temple sri dokkalamma temple sri muthyalamma temple sri peenugula mallanna temple among others temple sri ujjaini mahakali temple sri devi pochamma temple government temple government official legislator also visit take part festivity certain area like gunfoundry kalasiguda celebrate bonalu sravanam month unlike part city celebrates month ashadam gunfoundry muthyalamma temple one temple almost twocenturyold tradition tradition consists two day festival first day festival bonam given deity various devotee known thotela procession followed ghatam procession concluding ori village bonam trustee behalf devotee second day event like rangam kallu ghatam sare gampa procession gavurangam potharaju take place concluding event sending ghatam procession according mythology potharaju brother mother goddess role played procession wellbuilt barebodied man wearing small tightly draped red dhoti bell ankle anointed turmeric body vermilion forehead dance resounding drum procession potharaju always dance front palaharam bandi ie procession considered initiator festivity protector community lead female dancer spell mother goddess known shigam temple lashing whip emerald neem leaf margosa tied around waist accompanied trumpet drum bonalu festival offering mother goddess family share offering family member guest nonvegetarian family feast follows great offering meat used prepare meal meat goat rooster ceremonially slaughtered later partaken meal peasant take whatever food display affection earth goddess eat later toddy palm wine worker also offer toddy tap livelihood special scriptural mandate offered per tradition offering made goddess consists toddy along fowl sheep goat animal killed community meal considered sacrifice scriptural book prescribe peasanttradition mother goddess demand meat offering tradition peasant festival similar islamic bakrid tradition goat slaughtered consumed western brahmin literature confuses animal consumed festival time communal meal peasant tradition sacrifice rig vedic brahmin animal killed fire priest consumption ritual reason however advent modernization government control peasant tradition people restricted use pumpkin bottle gourd coconut lemon festive environment quite palpable locality celebrating festival loudspeaker playing folk song song respect mother goddess street decorated neem leaf rangam performing oracle held next morning festival woman standing atop earthen pot invokes goddess mahakali onto performs custom foretells year ahead devotee asking future take place procession started present oracle sri ujjaini mahakali devasthanam major temple secunderabad kumari erupula swarnalatha currently th generation oracle previous oracle include kumaris elder sister kum swaroopa grandmother bagamma ancestor including jogamma poshamma ghatam copper pot decorated form mother goddess ghatam carried priest wear traditional dhoti whose body smeared turmeric ghatam taken procession first day festival last day immersed water ghatam usually accompanied beating drum festival concludes immersion ghatam ghatam haribowlis akkanna madanna temple lead procession placed atop elephant accompanied mounted horse model depicting akkanna madanna end evening glittering procession display much pomp show followed immersion ghatams nayapul festival carnivallike atmosphere thousand people wait along main street laldarwaza nayapul watch exquisitely elaborately decorated ghatams young men dance unique style drum beat folk song alongside pothuraju dressup various mythological role ghatams secunderabad city lashkar include ujjaini mahakali mahadevi pochamma karbala maidan dokkalamma himam bavi muthyalamma kalasiguda nallagutta pan bazar chilkalguda uppara basthi kummariguda regimental bazar bhoiguda etc area secunderabad existed british colonial era date celebrating bonalu village like mudfort gunrock sikh village celebrate ghatam procession one two day depending tradition thiru thulkanthamman temple old mudfort celebrating ghatam year ghatams old city procession include mahankali temple haribowli akkannamadanna lal darwaza uppuguda miralam mandi kasaratta jagadamba temple sultanshahi bangaru mysamma temple shah ali banda alijah kotla gowlipura sultanshahi darbar mysamma aliabad mysamma temple boggulkunta mutyalamma temple chandulal bela certain area like gunfoundry kalasiguda celebrate bonalu sravanam month unlike part city celebrates month ashadam gunfoundry muthyalamma temple twocenturyold tradition two day festivity traditional ritual another part bonalu festival thottela whereby artifact offered goddess people telangana artifact called thottela made bamboo stick colorful transparent paper woman carrying bonam hindu featureusurped mayadari mysamma song feature