Union Minister G Kishan Reddy offers prayers at Amberpet Mahakali Temple, extends Bonalu wishes
Hyderabad, August 9
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday visited the Amberpet Mahakali Temple in Hyderabad and offered prayers on the occasion of the Bonalu festival.
Speaking on the occasion, Reddy said Bonalu is celebrated in Telangana to seek the blessings of the Goddess, with women playing a special role by carrying decorated Bonalu offerings from their homes in processions and offering them to the Goddess.
"Bonalu festival in Telangana is celebrated to seek the blessings of the Goddess. Women play a special role, carrying decorated Bonalu offerings from their homes in processions and offering them to the Goddess," Reddy said.
He said devotees pray through the festival for peace, good rains, protection from natural calamities, and the well-being and prosperity of all.
Reddy extended his heartfelt wishes to all devotees celebrating Bonalu.
BRS Working President K T Rama Rao (KTR) on last Sunday offered prayers at the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad on the occasion of the Bonalu festival.
KTR was accompanied by former minister and MLA G Jagadish Reddy, former minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Amberpet MLA Kaleru Venkatesh and other party leaders. In a post on X, KTR said people of Hyderabad and Secunderabad were offering Bonam to Goddess Mahankali with devotion and faith.
He said that before the formation of Telangana, there had been a demand to declare Bonalu a state festival, but "no one paid attention."
According to KTR, it was KCR himself who offered a golden Bonam to Ammavaru and recognised the Bonalu festival as the state festival after coming to power. He also said that the Yadadri Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple was developed and reconstructed for Rs 1,800 crore during the BRS government's tenure.
KTR further said funds were allocated to every temple committee during the Bonalu festival. He said that he prayed to Goddess Mahankali for good rainfall across the state and for the prosperity of farmers.
One of the key attractions of the festival is the energetic Potharaju dance, a traditional performance associated with Bonalu that adds to the festive spirit.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Potharaju dance is such an energetic and integral part of Bonalu! Growing up in Hyderabad, this festival always brings back beautiful memories of my grandmother preparing the Bonam at home. Happy Bonalu to everyone!
While it's nice that leaders are offering prayers, I wish they would also focus on the actual issues facing temples and festivals - like crowd management, water availability during the summer, and ensuring the traditional ghatams are properly supported. Political photo-ops during festivals are fine, but governance matters more.
KTR's point about KCR declaring Bonalu as a state festival after Telangana formation is important. The recognition was long overdue - this festival has been celebrated for centuries and deserved official status much earlier. At least it was eventually done.
I'm not from Telangana but I've seen the Bonalu celebrations during my visits to Hyderabad. The devotion of the women carrying the Bonam is truly inspiring. The festival's prayers for good rains are so relevant, especially with climate change affecting farmers. May the Goddess bless all!
The Golden Bonam by KCR was a historic moment. But let's not forget that festivals like Bonalu are about community and faith, not just political legacies. The real celebration is in the streets, the processions, the ochre sarees of women, and the joy of sharing prasadam with neighbours. Happy Bonalu to all Telangana folks! 🎉
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