Golconda fort turns into sea of devotion, tradition for Bonalu

As the sky remained cloudy on Sunday in the afternoon, the historic Golconda Castle became a vibrant loyalty and a sea of ​​tradition. Up to half a kilometer, the roads to the castle were filled with people who were mostly wearing traditional saraes, carrying bonam decorated in their heads, accompanied by family members and groups playing rhythmic folk music. All of them, the goddess Jagadambika, who was on the castle, tended to look for the blessings of Yellamma.

As the day progressed, the crowd began to increase, and the narrow entrance doors of the castle witnessed a stable dedicated flow. Bonams or cooked rice, jaggery, curd and other offers, soil containers, women’s heads, balanced, created a striking landscape against the floor of the old castle.

“Our family is coming to celebrate Bonalu for decades. Even though we live in Miyapur on the other side of the city, there is a special feeling that we receive when we present our prayers.”

Some dedicated rituals completed their rituals in the early hours of the day and were preparing for a feast. 36 -year -old Renuka Redy, who lives in Kukatpally, said, “We finished the offers. We will eat here and return home,” he said.

To manage the major participation, the police had put crowded control measures, including barricades to organize entrance and exit points. Medical teams and ambulances were deployed as a precautionary measure.

Dedicated during the Bonalu Festival at Golconda Fort, they carry ‘Bonam’. | Photo Loan: Siddhant Thakur

Foundation Commissioner S. Venkat Rao closely watched the procedures during the day. “The police were instructed to manage crowds, especially around the Fort region. Measures were taken to maintain excessive crowds and order during the event,” he said.

Bonalu, one of the most important folk festivals in TaLangana, is the roots of the 18th century. According to the local Lore, during a deadly plague epidemic in 1813, the soldiers from the military battalion in Ujjainin prayed to protect the goddess Mahakanli. When the plague decreased and returned home safely, they established an idol of the goddess with gratitude. The Annual Bonalu Festival has continued as a heartfelt praise to the Divine since then.