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. Sri   Ujjaini   Mahankali   Temple  is an important temple dedicated to Shakti worship in Telangana. The deity was installed here in the beginning of 19th century ...

Bonalu Festival observed in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana in  India is dedicated to Mother Goddess (Shakti) and is observed in the month of Ashada (July – August). It must be noted that on the Sundays in Ashada month (June – July) temples in Telangana. Bonalu Jatara 2025 dates are June 29, July 6, July 13, and July 20. Bonalu 2025 date at the  Ujjaini   Mahankali   Temple  is July 13 and the Rangam is on July 14. The festival, which is known as ‘Ashadam Jatara’ will commence from July 3 at Sri Jagadamba Mahankali Temple atop the historic Golconda fort. Lal Darwaja, Akkanna Madanna, Bangaru Maisamma, Bhagyalakshmi temple are some of the important temples where the offering is made. The festival starts with a procession of Rottela Jathara from Langar Houz center to  Golconda Sri Jagadamba Mahankali temple  on the first Sunday of Ashada month.  The festival concludes with a huge procession from Mateshwari temple of Lal Darw...

Potharaju is the brother of Goddess Mahankali. He is a fierce looking man and is part of procession to Mother Goddess temples. Today many people dress like Potharaju and leads the Bonalu procession. He walks ahead of the procession whipping himself. He is part of Bonalu procession, Pochamma Thalli and Ellamma Thalli. Potharaju symbolically represents masculine power, which can weed out all physical evils affecting the devotees of Goddess Mahankali. Thus, he is a protector or guardian deity. Usually Potharaju is a well-built man, whose body is covered with turmeric powder and red vermilion on forehead. He wears a red dhoti. Bells are tied to the ankle and dances to the sound of drums. Potharaju carries a whip and lashes it against his body to the sound of drum beats. He is followed by women carrying bonam or by females who tie neem leaves around their waist and are in a trance. Sometimes Potharaju goes into a trance and predicts the future of the community.

Bonam is made during the Bonalu festival dedicated to Mother Goddess held on the Sundays in Ashada month in Telangana. Bonam is a pot that is carried by women devotees dressed in traditional attire to the Mother Goddess temples like the Mahankali Temple . ‘Bonam’ means ‘Bhojanam’ in Telugu, an offering to the Goddess. Here is a brief description of how to make Bonam Pot with items to be placed in it. Bonam is a pot made using metal or clay. The pot contains Uncooked rice, Turmeric powder Jaggery and Curd The pot is decorated with sindoor – red color. Some people decorate it with marigold flowers or red color flowers. The pot is covered with neem leaves and a lamp placed on it. The pot is carried on head by the devotees.

Bonalu festival in 2025 at the Mahankali Temple at Lal Darwaza in Hyderabad will begin on June 29, 2025. The important Bonalu festival dates at the Lal Darwaza Mahankali Temple are on June 29 and June 30. Bonalu is dedicated to  Amman  – Mother Goddess – and is observed in the Ashada month in the Telangana Region in  India . The Bonalu ritual at Lal Darwaza Mahankali Temple will start with Abhishekam and Flag hoisting – Dhwajarohan. During the festival, the deity will receive a set of new ‘Pattuvastram’ from the government – this is a longstanding tradition. Devotees will make offerings on the day. Welcoming of Potaraju and the grand procession is an important part of the festival. The other famous Bonalu in  Hyderabad  are held at the Golconda Mahankali temple and the  Ujjaini   Mahankali   Temple . The Lal Darwaza Mahankali Temple is a prominent Hindu temple located in Hyderabad, India. It is dedicated to Goddess...

Bonalu is dedicated to Amman – Mother Goddess – and is observed on all Sundays in Ashada month in the Telangana Region in India . The first Sunday Bonalu is observed at the Sri Jagdamba Mahankali Temple at Golconda Fort. Golconda Bonalu 2025 dates are June 26, June 29, July 3, July 6, July 10, July 13, July 17, July 20 and July 24. Sundays and Thursdays are chosen to observe the ritual. Goddess Mahankali is offered special prayers during Bonalu. The main ritual involves bonam – cooked rice and jaggery. The scene at the Golconda temple was one of fervour, with people climbing about 360 steps to reach the temple and some stopping at each step to apply turmeric and saffron to the step before reaching the sanctum sanctorum. On the second Sunday, devotees will turn up with ‘thottelu’ which are colourful artefacts people make and carry in a Bonalu procession. In Bonalu, devotees take out jhoola and ratham procession to the temple and offer bonam, containing cooked rice mix...

Ashada Jatara Bonalu Festival is an important annual ritual held at the famous Sri Ujjaini Maha Mahakali Kali Temple at Secunderabad in Telangana in the Telugu Month of Ashada. In 2025, Ashada Jatara Bonalu Festival at Sri Ujjaini  Mahakali Temple is on July 13. Rangam festival will be observed on July 14. Bonalu is an important Hindu festival dedicated to Mother Goddess in the Telangana region and is a major event in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple is an important sacred place dedicated to Shakti worship in Andhra Pradesh. The deity was installed here in the beginning of 19th century by some devotees from Ujjaini. 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. Some of the soldiers in the army contingent returned to Mahakali Devasthanam at Ujjaini and prayed to the Goddess to save Telangana region from the grip of...

Bonalu is an important festival celebrated in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana in the month of Ashada (July – August). Bonalu means ‘food’ and is a ritual in honor of Mother Goddess - Mahankali. The ritual consists of an offering of food made to the Goddess by women which is later shared by the family and friends as ‘prasad.’ The festival is a month long affair and includes colorful processions and community feasts.   Bonalu on Sundays in the Ashada month: The first main festival is held on the first Sunday of the Ashada month at the Sri Jagadamba temple in Golconda Fort, the next main festival on the second Sunday at the Ujjain Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad and the third main festival on the third Sunday at the Matheswari Temple of Laldarwaja. The rituals are also performed in all the other Mother Goddess temples in the twin cities. Origin of Bonalu festival: Bonalu had its origin in an epidemic of plague in 1869 in Hyderabad and Secunderabad, ...