Bonalu is a Hindu festival observed in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and in some parts of Telangana. This festival honours Mahankali or the Mother Goddess. It is generally celebrated in the urban areas. Bonam means Bojanaalu. It means “meal” in Telugu. It is an offering to the Goddess. Women bring cooked rice mixed with sugar and milk, sometimes onions, filled with water in polished brass vessels or in earthen pots (usually two pots), put some neem branches, colored in sacred colors of turmeric and vermilion in a spotted manner, lit up atop with diya. They bring these on their heads and join a big procession.
The procession then goes to the Goddess at a local temple led by dancing men and accompanied by pounding drumbeaters.This century-old tradition is celebrated since the time of the Nizams who used to participate in the celebrations.The festival starts with the Golconda Mahankali, situated inside the fort, and then moves to another temple named the Ujjani Mahankali temple at Secunderabad and continues its celebrations on every succeeding Sunday in different parts of the twin cities and its suburbs.Bonalu is celebrated in the month of Ashada, the month preceding Shravana. Special pujas are performed to Goddess Jagadambika or Yellamma on the first and last day of the festival.
Bonalu is considered to be a thanksgiving festival where people thank the Goddess for the fulfillment of their prayers. Women dress up in traditional silk sarees and adorn themselves in jewelleries before going for the temple offering. The Dance is performed by, tranced female dancers, who are generally middle-aged. They balance posts (Bonalu) and dance to the rhythmic beats and tunes of drums in praise of the local deity of Goddess Mahankali. Earlier, people used to sacrifice a male buffalo in front of the santorum. But now roosters are sacrificed to ward off the evil spirit. This rite symbolizes the festival of sacrifice.
Women carrying Bonalu on their heads are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess. When the group moves towards the temple, people come out and wash their feet with water to pacify the Goddess who is believed to be restless and aggressive by nature. Every group of devotees offers a Thottela as a mark of respect. A Thottela is a small colorful, paper structure erected with sticks. The well-built, bare-bodied, turmeric-smeared man with vermillion on his forehead, and clad in a short, tightly-draped dhoti dances to the reverberating drum beats. He has bells tied to his ankles and is belovedly known as Potharaju.
He is believed to be the brother of Mother Goddess. He always dances before the Palaharam Bandi is taken to the streets. He is the initiator of the festivities and is considered to be the protector of the community. He is followed by the tranced female dancers, who are under the spell, of the Mother Goddess, called shigam. They lash whips and emerald margosa leaves tied around their waists add colour to the roaring trumpets and pulsating percussions and beating of drums. Bonalu is a festival of offering to the Goddess. Families share the offering among themselves and the guests. This is followed by a family feast, which has a non-vegetarian menu.
Rangam is held in the morning of the following day when some women, under a spell, foretell the year ahead. Rangam means “forecasting of the future”. People come and ask these women about things that are in store for them. This takes place before the procession is set out. Rangam is followed by, Ghatam. The festival comes to an end with the immersion of the Ghatam. The Ghatam of Haribowli Akkanna Madanna temple, placed on an elephant, accompanied by horses and models depicting Akkanna and Madanna, lead the procession. The custom ends in the evening with a gorgeous procession and display followed by the immersion of the Ghatams at Nayapool.
In a carnival- like ambience, thousands of people wait along the main streets of Laldarwaza to Nayapool and watch the exquisitely and elaborately decorated Ghatams. Hundreds of youth dance in a unique style to the tempting drum beats and orchestra alongside Pothrajus. Other parts of the procession dress up in various mythological roles and they are a treat to the eyes. The Ghatams of the Old City procession include Mahankali temples of Haribowli Akkanna-Madanna, Laldarwaza, Kasaratta, Uppuguda, Miralam Mandi, Jagadamba Temple of Sultanshahi, Alijah Kotla and Gowlipara, Bangaru Mysamma Temple of Shahalibanda, Darbar Mysamma of Aliabad and Mutyalamma temple of Chandulal Bela.
