సర్వే జనఃసుఖినో భవంతు
Lashkar Bonalu A Telangana Festival know as Ujjaini mahakali Bonalu Jatara
Bonalu festival reflects and represents the tradition of Telangana Bonalu festival is also known as Ashadha Jathara. People celebrate this festival when rainy season starts. Not only in Hyderabad, Secunderabad twin cities Bonalu celebrations occur in other places and different dates of Telangana. Bona
lu festival celebrations grandly performed at Secunderabad Ujjaini Mahakali Temple, Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple of Shalibanda at Hyderabad old city, Lal Darwaja Mahankali Ammavari temple at Hyderabad old city and 50 Grama Devata temples. Not only in twin cities, but also Bonalu celebrations were performed in 80 % of villages. Lakhs of people participates in Bonalu festival. Ghatotsavam
Banalu is the telangana festival celebrates for 15 days. People go to the mother goddess that is ammavaru and invites her with Edurukollu. With the decorated Ghatam devotees welcomes goddess. It is called as Poorna Kumbha Swagatam. It is our tradition. This Poorna Kumbha Swagatam has changed into Ghatam. With decorated Kalasham takes ammavaru into streets. The day before Bonalu festival goddess lives in Ghatam and receives pujas. Thousands of people participates in this procession. Elder people and handicapped persons who can not able to go to temple can have darshan of ammavaru. Bonalu
Bonam or Bonalu means Bhojanam.. that is offering. Devotees offers food or prasadam to ammavaru in Ashadha Masam is known as bonalu. Ladies take headbath and wear new or clean dress then keep the sacred prasadam in a pot. They put a candle (jyothi) on the pot and think it very devine.. then take these bonalu to temples with folk songs and drum sounds. Saka Samarpana
Saka means Sakha that is a branch of a tree. Devotees take a neem tree branch and sprays turmeric water and offers that to ammavaru. This ritual called as Saka Samarpana or Sakha samarpana. People believe that by doing this goddess saves always. alaharapu Ballu (Carts of Offerings)
On the occassion of bonalu festival devotees prepare favorate items of ammavaru. They bring all those food offerings in a cart and go to temple. After completing the pradakshinas they offer prasadam to ammavaru and then take that to home and eats. All family members feel that food as Maha Prasadam. Thousands of people brings food in carts in this process. That is why it was mentioned as Palaharapu Ballu (Carts of Offerings). Poturaju Veerangam
In the occassion of Bonalu, we can see thousands of people going to the temples of ammavaru. In this processions the brother of mother goddess is called as Poturaju. Poturaju with turmeric on whole body, wears red langoti (small tightly draped red cloth), bells on ankles, vermilion (Kumkuma) on forehead, lemons in mouth, neem leaves tied around their waists, lashing whips.. this is the getup of the poturaju. These poturajus dances in bonalu celebrations. Trumpets and drums accompanies. Along with poturaju veerangam many people dances on roads and sings folk songs ammavaru like ''ammaa bailellinaave.. tallee bailellinaave..'' etc. On the occassion of bonalu devotees decorates their doors and streets with small neem branches. Rangam
Rangam means prediction or forecasting of the future (Bhavishya vani) People celebrate Bonalu on Sunday. On the next day that is monday morning at the ammavari mukha mandatam Matangeswari temple an unmarried woman comes and stands on the pot. She forecasts the future. People believe that Ammavaru only is saying that bhavishyavani in her words. Gavupattadam
After completing the Rangam programme, Poturajus starts vilayatandavam at 9am. They literally dance in a terrific way accompanies trumpets and drums. At that time ammavaru comes on them. Then they breaks by teeth bottle gourd and pumkin amd called it as bali. Actually in the beginning days instead of these vegetable they used animals for Bali. But now that is banned. Saganampu
This 'Gavupatadam' tradition finishes by 10 am. After that the goddess photo is kept on an elephant well decorated and make a procession in streets with drums and songs. In this way taking ammavaru as Ooregimpu is called as Saganampu. We can understand one thing by bonalu festival.. that is bonalu celebrations indicates not only devotion but also togetherness. Have a great pleasure by celebrating this festival. The mother Goddess or ammavaru will surely fulfill your desires.
