Bonalu (Telugu: బోనాలు) is a traditional
Hindu
Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
festival centred on the Goddess
Mahakali
Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. She is also known as the supreme being in various tantras and Puranas.
Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal po ...
from
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
. This festival is celebrated annually in the twin cities of
Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
and
Secunderabad
Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...
, as well as in other parts of the state.
It is celebrated in the month of
Ashada Masam, which is around July and/or August. Special "poojas" (worship/ ceremonies) are performed for
Yellamma (one of the many regional forms of Mahakali) on the first and last day of the festival. The festival is also considered a thanksgiving to the Goddess for fulfillment of vows.
The word ''Bonam'' is a contraction of the word ''Bhojanam'', a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
loanword
A loanword (also a loan word, loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language (the recipient or target language), through the process of borrowing. Borrowing is a metaphorical term t ...
which means a meal or a feast in
Telugu. It is an offering to the Mother Goddess. Women prepare rice cooked with milk and
jaggery
Jaggery is a List of unrefined sweeteners, traditional non-centrifugal cane sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, North America, Central America, Brazil and Africa. It is a concentrated product of Sugarcane juice, cane jui ...
in a new brass or earthen pot adorned with
neem
''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus '' Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of S ...
leaves,
turmeric
Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...
,
vermilion
Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color family and pigment most often used between antiquity and the 19th century from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide). It is synonymous with red orange, which often takes a moder ...
and a lit lamp on top of the pot. Women carry the pots on their heads and make an offering of the ''Bonam'' along with turmeric-vermilion, bangles and
sari
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
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to the Mother Goddess across the temples.
Bonalu involves the worship of Mother Goddess in regional forms such as ''
Maisamma'', ''Pochamma'', ''Yellamma'', ''Peddhamma'', ''Dokkalamma'', ''Ankalamma'', ''Poleramma'', ''Maremma'', ''Nookalamma''.
Origin of Bonalu festival
The origin of this festival can be traced back to the 18th century in the erstwhile
Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
, and is linked with the "Regimental Bazaar" and the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In the year 1813, plague broke out in the twin cities, and this took the lives of thousands of people.
Just before this, a military battalion from Hyderabad had been deployed to
Ujjain
Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...
i, where there is the famous temple of Shiva in the form of Mahakaleshwara. When this military battalion from Hyderabad got news that the epidemic had hit their native land, they became fearful for the lives and safety of their families. The soldiers posted in Ujjaini prayed to the Mother Goddess at the Mahakali Temple –
Ujjain
Ujjain (, , old name Avantika, ) or Ujjayinī is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative as well as religious centre of Ujjain ...
i,
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
. The battalion is said to have prayed to Goddess Mahakali to kill the plague, and if the goddess did so, they would install an idol of the Goddess Mahakali in the city when they returned home. It is believed that Goddess Mahakali destroyed the disease and kept the pestilence away. When the battalion returned to their homeland, they built the
Ujjaini Mahakali Temple and installed an idol of the goddess, in fulfilment of their vow. This was followed by the offering of ''Bonalu'' to her. This then became a tradition that has been followed by most of the people of ''Telangana.''
There are also other versions regarding the origin of the festival. This include the mythological story that this is the time when Goddess Mahakali comes back to her parental home, during Aashada Maasam (Hindu month of Aashaada) which comes in the period from late June to August, which makes this period the most optimal time to offer ''Bonalu'' to the goddess. This practice is comparable to the grand welcome given to a married daughter who returns to her parents' home each year for a vacation and is pampered by her parents.
The Ritual
Bonalu is celebrated in various parts of the twin cities. In Hyderabad, on the first Sunday of
Aashadham, celebrations are held at the Jagadamba temple at
Golconda Fort
Golconda is a fortified citadel and ruined city located on the western outskirts of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The fort was originally built by Kakatiya ruler Pratāparudra in the 11th century out of mud walls. It was ceded to the Bahmani ...
.
On the second Sunday, at
Balkampet Yellamma temple in Balkampet and
Ujjaini Mahakali Temple, and Gandimaisamma Temple in Regimental Bazar in Secunderabad, and on the third Sunday, at the Pochamma and
Katta Maisamma temple of
Chilkalguda and the Matheswari temple of
Lal Darwaza in the
Old City of Hyderabad.
Akkanna Madanna temple in Haribowli, and Muthyalamma temple in
Shah Ali Banda are among other temples where Bonalu is celebrated. Every year,
lakh
A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...
s of devotees congregate to pay obeisance to
Mahakali
Mahakali () is the Hindu goddess of time and death in the goddess-centric tradition of Shaktism. She is also known as the supreme being in various tantras and Puranas.
Similar to Kali, Mahakali is a fierce goddess associated with universal po ...
.
On this special occasion, women dress up in the traditional
Sari
A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include:
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* is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...
, jewels and other accessories. Teenage girls wear half Saris/
Lehenga Choli, and ornaments to bring out the traditional grace of the attire. Some
Tranced women dance with balancing pots (Bonam), to the rhythmic beats of drums in honour of the local goddess. To ward off evil spirits, in olden days, people used to sacrifice a male buffalo in front of the temple, but now it is replaced with the sacrifice of
rooster
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...
s.

Women carrying Bonalu are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess, and when they go towards the temple, people pour water on their feet to pacify the spirit, who is believed to be aggressive.
Every group of devotees offer a ''Thottelu'' (a small colorful, paper structure supported by sticks), as a mark of respect to the goddess.
The Bonalu celebrations at "Lashkar" Secunderabad is one of the most prominent Bonalu celebrations. The festival begins on the first Sunday of the Hindu Month of Ashada which is known as Edurukolu, which is celebrated as the homecoming of the goddess in the form of Ghatam. On the third Sunday of the Ashada month, Bonalu Jatara is celebrated, and on the following Monday, ''Rangam'' (
Oracle
An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination.
Descript ...
) and ''Ghatam Saganamputa'' are celebrated, when the festivities come to an end.
The prominent temples in the Secunderabad "Lashkar Bonalu" include Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam, Sri Gandimaissamma Temple, Sri Devi Pochamma Temple, Sri Muthyalamma Temple, Sri Peddamma Temple, Sri Dokkalamma Temple, Sri Muthyalamma Temple, and Sri Peenugula Mallanna Temple, among others. Out of these temples, Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple, and Sri Devi Pochamma Temple are government temples, government officials and legislators also visit and take part in the festivities.
Certain areas like
Gunfoundry, and Kalasiguda celebrate Bonalu in the
Sravanam month, unlike other parts of the city which celebrates in the month of Ashadam. Gunfoundry Muthyalamma Temple is the one temple which has an almost two-century-old tradition. The tradition consists of two days festivals, with the first day of the festival with Bonam given to deities from various devotees, known as the ''Thotela'' procession, followed by the ''Ghatam'' procession, and concluding with ''Ori'' (village) ''Bonam'' by the trustees on behalf the devotees. On the second day, events like ''Rangam'', ''Kallu Ghatam'', ''Sare Gampa'' procession, and ''Gavurangam'' (''Potharaju'') take place, concluding the event by sending off the ''Ghatam'' procession.
Pothuraju

According to mythology, ''Potharaju'' the brother of the Mother Goddess. His role is played in the procession by a well-built, bare-bodied man, wearing a small tightly draped
red dhoti, bells on his ankles, and anointed with turmeric on his body and vermilion on his forehead. He dances to resounding drums in the procession.
''Potharaju'' always dances in front of the ''Palaharam Bandi'', i.e., the procession. He is considered the initiator of the festivities and the protector of the community. He leads the female dancers who are under the spell of the Mother Goddess (known as ''shigam'') to the temple, with lashing whips and emerald
neem leaves (margosa) tied around their waists, accompanied by trumpets and drums.
The Feast
Bonalu is a festival of offering to the Mother Goddess, and families share the offering with family members and guests. A non-vegetarian family feast follows after the great offering. The meat used to prepare the meal is the meat of a goat or a rooster, that has been ceremonially slaughtered, and later partaken as a meal. Peasants take whatever food they can as a display of affection to the earth goddess and eat it later. Toddy (
palm wine
Palm wine, known by several #Names, local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm trees such as the Borassus, palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and ...
) workers also offer toddy which they tap for their livelihood. There is no special scriptural mandate on what has to be offered. As per tradition, offerings are made to the goddess which consists of toddy, along with fowls, sheep and goat. Animals killed for community meals are not considered sacrifices. There are no scriptural books that prescribe the peasant-tradition, that the Mother Goddess demands meat as an offering. The tradition of this peasant festival is similar to the Islamic
Bakrid tradition, where a goat is slaughtered and consumed. Western and Brahmin literature confuses animals consumed in festival time for communal meals in peasant tradition with the sacrifices of
Rig Vedic Brahmins, where animals were killed by fire priests, not for consumption but for ritual reasons. However, with the advent of modernization and government control over peasant traditions, people have been restricted to only use
pumpkin
A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...
s,
bottle gourds,
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
s and
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...
s.
The festive environment is quite palpable in the locality celebrating the festival, with loud-speakers playing folk songs and such other songs in respect of the Mother Goddess, and the streets decorated with
neem
''Azadirachta indica'', commonly known as neem, margosa, nimtree or Indian lilac, is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of the two species in the genus '' Azadirachta''. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and to parts of S ...
leaves.
Rangam
''Rangam'' (or ''Performing the Oracle)'', is held the next morning of the festival. A woman standing atop of an earthen pot ''invokes'' Goddess Mahakali onto her and performs the custom. She foretells the year ahead for the devotees asking about the future. This takes place before the procession is started. The present oracle at Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam and other major temples of Secunderabad is Kumari Erupula Swarnalatha, who is currently the 6th generation oracle. Previous oracles include Kumari's elder sister Kum, Swaroopa before her, her grandmother Bagamma and other ancestors including Jogamma and Poshamma.
Ghatam
''Ghatam'' is a copper pot, decorated in the form of the Mother Goddess. The Ghatam is carried by a priest, who wears a traditional ''Dhoti'', and whose body is smeared with turmeric. The ''Ghatam'' is taken into procession from the first day of the festival until the last day when it is immersed in water. The ''Ghatam'' is usually accompanied by beating of drums.
The festival concludes with immersion of the ''Ghatam''. The ''Ghatam'' of Haribowli's
Akkanna Madanna Temple leads the procession, placed atop an elephant and accompanied by mounted horses and models depicting
Akkanna and
Madanna. It ends in the evening with a glittering procession and display of much pomp and show followed by immersion of ''Ghatams'' at
Nayapul.
The festival has a
carnival-like atmosphere, where thousands of people wait along the main streets of
Laldarwaza to
Nayapul and watch the exquisitely and elaborately decorated ''Ghatams''. Young men dance in a unique style to the drum beats and folk songs alongside ''Pothuraju'', and dress-up in various mythological roles. The ''Ghatams'' of the Secunderabad City (Lashkar) include Ujjaini Mahakali & Mahadevi Pochamma at Karbala Maidan, Dokkalamma at Himam Bavi, Muthyalamma at Kalasiguda, Nallagutta, Pan Bazar, Chilkalguda, Uppara Basthi, Kummariguda, Regimental Bazar and Bhoiguda, etc.
Areas in Secunderabad that existed from the British Colonial era have their own dates for celebrating Bonalu in their villages like Mudfort, Gunrock, and Sikh Village. They celebrate the ''Ghatam'' procession for one or two days, depending on their traditions. Thiru thulkanthamman Temple in Old Mudfort has been celebrating ''Ghatam'' for about 100 years. The Ghatams of the Old City procession include the Mahankali temples in Haribowli Akkanna-Madanna, Lal Darwaza,
Uppuguda, Miralam Mandi and Kasaratta, the Jagadamba temple of Sultanshahi, Bangaru Mysamma temple of
Shah Ali Banda, Alijah Kotla and Gowlipura, and Sultanshahi, Darbar Mysamma of
Aliabad, Mysamma Temple of
Boggulkunta and Mutyalamma temple of Chandulal Bela.
Certain areas like Gunfoundry and Kalasiguda celebrate Bonalu in the
Sravanam month, unlike other parts of the city that celebrates in the month of Ashadam. In Gunfoundry Muthyalamma Temple, there is a two-century-old tradition, where there are two days festivities with the traditional rituals.
Thottela
Another part of the Bonalu festival is ''Thottela'', whereby an artifact is offered to the goddess by the people of Telangana. This artifact (called ''Thottela'') is made of bamboo sticks and colorful transparent papers.
Gallery
File:1lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:3 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:5 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:7 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:9 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:11 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:13 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:15 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:17 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:19 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:21 lal darwaza bonala pandaga Hyderabad.jpg,
File:SC ST Association bonala swagatha vedika.jpg,
File:Lighting during Bonalu in Uppal.jpg, Lighting across the Uppal during Bonalu festival
File:India. Telangana bonalu.jpg
References
External links
Women carrying the Bonam* {{usurped,
}
Hindu festivals
Festivals in Hyderabad, India
June observances
July observances
August observances
Religious festivals in India
Festivals in Telangana