Bonalu is an important annual ritual held at the famous Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple at Secunderabad in Telangana in the Telugu Month of Ashada. In 2025, Bonalu Festival at Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple is on July 13. Rangam festival will be observed on July 14, 2025.
The Ammavari Darshanam will commence at 4 am on Sunday and will go on till 2 am the next day. The Rangam will take place on Monday at 9:30 AM on July 14, 2025 and the procession with the Mahankali idol atop the decorated elephant will commence at 10:30 AM.
The temple will be open till 11 pm on Monday to enable devotees offer prayers.
Bonalu is an important Hindu festival dedicated to Mother Goddess in the Telangana region and is a major event in Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The devotees were part of an army contingent and when they arrived at Secunderabad, the place was hit by a major cholera outbreak in which thousands of people died. The cholera outbreak subsided after prayers were offered to the deity.
The main ritual includes offering of cooked rice with jaggery to Goddess Mahankali. The pot with offering is decorated with neem leaves. Other offerings include water.