Bonalu Festival

Bonalu is Festival Celebrated  in the State of Telangana,and it is dedicated to Goddess Mahakali.It is  celebrated in the month of Ashada Masam, in July/August.Bonam means "Bojanam" in telugu.This is the festival that lasts for a whole month and one of  the longest festival that is celebrated all across India.

Origin :

There are two stories regarding this festival.In the year 1813 Plague disease broke out in Twin Cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad, claiming thousands of lives.Military battalion prayed to the Mother Goddess in Mahankaal Temple in

Ujjain.They Believed that Goddess Mahakali Saved from epidemic disease and installed Goddess Mahakali  in their city and every year people offered Bonalu.

The other one is that this is the time when Goddess Mahakali comes back to her parental home, in Ashada Maasam or the period from late June to August.

On the first Sunday of 'Aashaadam', celebrations are held at the temple atGolconda Fort. On the second Sunday, at Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad and Balkampet Yellamma temple in Balkampet, and the third Sunday, at the Matheswari temple of Lal Darwaza in Old City of Hyderabad. Akkanna Madanna temple in Haribowli, Muthyalamma temple in Shah Ali Banda are among other temples where Bonalu are celebrated. Every year, lakhs of devotees congregate to pay obeisance to Mahankali.

This festival is celebrated for seeking the blessings of the Godess so that there will no calamities and that all should live happily.The main part of the festival is offering the bonam  to the Goddess, which is done on Sundays.The bonam consists of rice which is cooked along with milk and jaggery, tamarind juice and water all in different pots made of mud or metal.

These pots are decorated with Turmeric and kumkum and Neem leaves along with a lamp on the pots are carried on head to the temple of the Godess. This is offered on Sunday every week at different places of Telangana until the festival ends.

The bonam is carried to the temple with a person called Pothuraju.The interesting part of the festival is the Rangam, which is on the next day after the bonam is offered i.e on Monday.In this ritual a woman who is believed to be possessed by the Goddess would foretell the future for that year.

Rangam is followed by Ghatam.Ghatam is copper pot, decorated in the form of mother goddess, and it is carried by a priest who wears traditional dress.The Ghatam is taken into procession from first day of the festival till last day, when it is immersed in water .

Bonalu Dates 2016 : 

July 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st.

At Ujjaini Mahankali Temple is July 24th.

Rangam is on 25th July.