Preparations in full swing for Golconda Bonalu

HYDERABAD: As Golconda gears up to celebrate Bonalu from Thursday, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is taking recarpeting works, not only at  Jagadamba Mahankali temple, also called as Golconda Yellamma at the Fort, but also 12 other works inside the fort complex at a cost of `80 lakh, GHMC Central Zone Commissioner Musharraf Faruqui told Express. 

“We are also redoing all roads that lead to Golconda, installed 300 temporary flood lights, deployed additional sanitation personnel, scheduled fogging and organised water for pilgrims,” Faruqui said. 
The bulk of the work is being taken up by the GHMC because the Archaeological Survey of India, the Central body which is incharge of Golconda, is facing a lack of funds. “Only the estimates have been finalised, the funds have not been released yet,” an ASI official said. 

The ASI has declared that it will not charge fee from visitors on Thursdays and Sundays. The fort would see a sea of crowd from July 4 to August 2.  “People often sacrifice animals inside the fort premises. We often find carcasses of dead animals after the festivities are over,” said  an ASI official. 

Festivities to be telecast live
The government is making arrangements for live telecast of the Bonalu festivities. The decision was announced at a review meeting of ministers  Indrak aran Reddy and 
T Srinivas Yadav