Hyderabad, August 2: The annual Lashkar Bonalu festivities began on Sunday with thousands of devotees gathering at the historic Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad to offer Bonam, marking one of Telangana’s most significant cultural and religious celebrations.
Lashkar Bonalu Draws Thousands of Devotees
Devotees started arriving at the temple early in the morning, resulting in heavy crowds around the temple premises and adjoining roads.
On behalf of the Telangana government, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, accompanied by his wife, offered the first Bonam and presented silk clothes to the presiding deity as part of the traditional rituals.
Authorities made extensive arrangements to manage the large influx of devotees. Three queue lines were designated for general devotees, while two separate queues were arranged for those carrying Bonam offerings. A dedicated VIP queue and special vehicle parking facilities were also established.
Nearly 1,500 police and other personnel have been deployed to ensure security and crowd management during the celebrations.
As part of the Bonalu festivities, devotees offered Bonam to Goddess Mahankali on Sunday. The traditional Rangam and Ambari processions are scheduled to take place on Monday.
Hyderabad Traffic Police have imposed traffic restrictions and diversions within a two kilometre radius of the temple until August 4 to facilitate smooth movement of devotees.
According to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Joel Davis, roads leading from Tobacco Bazaar, Hamali Statue, Subhash Road, Hill Street, Adivaiah Crossroads and General Bazaar towards the Mahankali Temple will remain closed during the festival period.
At Karbala Crossroads, vehicles arriving from Children’s Park will be diverted towards Ranigunj. RTC buses and other vehicles travelling from Karbala Maidan towards Secunderabad Railway Station will be diverted via Minister Road and Gopalapuram.
The Hyderabad Traffic Police have advised commuters to plan their journeys in advance and use alternate routes to avoid congestion during the Bonalu celebrations.
