Hyderabad, July 15, 2013: The annual Bonalu festivities at the historic Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad began as processions carrying traditional ‘ghatams’ commenced on Sunday night. Temple committee members took out processions of the ‘ghatams’ carrying portraits of the goddess amidst drumbeats in Secunderabad and surroundings.

The ‘ghatam’ processions are organised for the convenience of physically-challenged and senior citizens, who cannot make it to the temple for darshan of the goddess during the festival. The ‘ghatam’ processions are conducted 15 days before the main Bonalu festival, which will be held on July 28 followed by Rangam and a caparisoned elephant procession the next day. During the ‘Rangam’ ritual, a woman would invoke goddess into her and perform oracle.

This year, the temple authorities are beefing up security arrangements at the temple in the wake of Bihar’s Bodh Gaya bomb blasts. There are about 16 surveillance cameras and 16 more would be installed during the two-day festivities. Six hand-held detectors would be hired to check bags and other articles at the temple. This apart, the number of private security guards would also increased, said A. Ashok Kumar, Mahankali Temple Executive Officer. Meanwhile, the serene atmosphere at the Golconda fort reverberated with drumbeats and was taken over by turmeric and vermilion as people thronged in large numbers to offer ‘Bonams’ to the goddess. Dressed in their best, woman arrived at the temple, right at the crack of the dawn and offered Bonam.

Source: The Hindu, DT. July 15, 2013.