22-07-2025
Hyd'bad top cop flags off grand Bonalu procession
Hyderabad: Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand, accompanied by his wife Lalitha Anand, visited the Sri Akkanna Madanna Temple on Monday and officially flagged off the Ghatam procession. On this occasion, the Commissioner expressed his immense happiness to participate in the procession and extended his gratitude and best wishes to the temple management and the organisers.
The Commissioner highlighted the remarkable 350-year history of the Sri Akkanna Madanna Temple. He noted that during the Qutub Shahi rule in 1675, pujas were performed here for a decade. Following the demise of Akkanna and Madanna, the pujas ceased. However, after India gained independence, the temple was meticulously reconstructed, and its sacred pujas and festivals were joyfully resumed. Anand recounted that Goddess Mahankali was historically invoked to protect everyone from plagues, diseases, and floods, and she consistently provided that protection.
CV Anand also mentioned that the Bonalu festival has been celebrated grandly for the past month, with Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar and Konda Surekha taking a special interest and providing all necessary support to organise it on an unprecedented scale this year.
Regarding security arrangements, the Commissioner explained that robust police security had been put in place at the temple and along the Ghatam procession route to prevent stampedes. He also stated that arrangements had been made in coordination with all departments to ensure devotees faced no inconvenience. He further noted that She Teams and Crime Teams had been deployed specifically to prevent eve-teasing, pickpocketing, and chain snatching. The Commissioner thanked all Hyderabad officials for performing their duties to ensure the Bonalu festival was conducted peacefully.
Among the officials present were Vikram Singh Mann (Additional CP, Law and Order), D Joel Davis (Joint CP Traffic), K Apoorva Rao (DCP Special Branch), Sneha Mehra (DCP South Zone), Rakshitha Krishna Murthy (DCP CAR Headquarters), and Venkateswarlu (DCP Traffic).
