Lashkar Bonalu jatara on July 9 and 10 at Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad
HYDERABAD, JUNE 15, 2023: The annual Lashkar Bonalu jatara albeit Bonalu festival at Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad would be held on July 9 and 10 on a grand scale.
On July 9, the Bonalu festival would be conducted wherein the womenfolk offer bonam, an offering to the goddess since early morning and in the evening the ‘potharajus’ take out ‘palaharam’ bandi processions amid teen-maar beats. On July 10, the Rangam (oracle) and procession of goddess on an elephant would be conducted.
Minister for Animal Husbandry T Srinivas Yadav conducted a preparatory meeting with the officials concerned on Thursday and reviewed the arrangements for the smooth conduct of festivities without causing any problem to the devotees visiting the shrine. Stating that the Telangana government had declared the Lashkar Bonalu as state festival, he said that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had released Rs 15 crore for the conduct of the festival.
He said that they would make golden bonam and present to the goddess on the festival. He said that the golden bonam would be bought in a massive procession with artists of the Telangana state and added that the Chief Minister would present the golden bonam. He said that they were making arrangements for the special darshan of ‘Shiva sathulu’ at the temple from 1 pm to 3 pm on bonalu festival.
Instructing the officials to make all arrangements including uninterrupted power supply, drinking water, queue lines, police bandobust, transport facilities etc, he informed the police to install adequate CCTV cameras for surveillance from the command control. He also instructed the authorities to provide special medial teams and deployment of Bharath Scouts and Guides and NSS and NCC volunteers for the regulation of queue lines.
He directed the officials to telecast the bonalu festival live on all TV channels and social media. He also informed the authorities to provide mobile toilets at all important places to avoid any inconvenience to the pilgrims visiting the shrine during the jatara. GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar, Water works MD Dhana Kishore, North Zone DCP Chandana Deepthi, endowments additional commissioner Jyothi, temple trustee Krishna and others were also present.
