On the penultimate day of Bonalu festivities on Sunday, lanes and bylanes of Hyderabad were choc-a-block with devotees, decked in their traditional best, heading to temples carrying bonam.
While a persistent drizzle on Sunday morning progressed into heavy rain by afternoon, it did not dampen the spirit of the sea of devotees as they participated in the celebrations that lasted till evening at locations such as Sabzimandi, Jiyaguda, Lal Darwaza, Begumpet and Shalibanda.
Visual delight
Scores of women and girls walked to temples carefully balancing the bonam — colourful vessels embellished with turmeric, neem leaves and paint — on their heads. People huddled on roads to watch the Potharajus dance to drum beats and the tune of popular songs.
The celebrations in some areas were amplified by artistes wearing make up in vivid colours and designs painted on their faces.
A group of sari-clad women from Maharashtra pulled off a showstopping act by riding motorbikes in Kachiguda as part of a Bonalu procession.
At Sabzimandi, a 50-year-old female elephant from Belgaum’s Sulebhavi Shree Mahalakshmi Devasthanam, took part in the ceremonial procession of Goddess Mahankali.
It will be part of the procession at Haribowli on Monday, when the annual festival concludes. The elephant, Sudha, reached Hyderabad on Saturday after completing about 600-km journey.
Badminton champion P.V. Sindhu and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee member Vijayashanti upped the celebrity quotient to the festivities as they offered bonam to the deity at the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple at Lal Darwaza.
On Monday, K.V. Ramana Chary, Adviser to State Government, and Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar will inaugurate the Mahankali Jathara and Bonalu procession from Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali Mandiram at 4 p.m. The procession is expected to reach Nayapool late in the evening.