14-07-2025
Thousands throng Mahankali temple as Sec'bad sways to Bonalu beats
Hyderabad: Thousands of devotees including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, and several political leaders thronged to Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple on the occasion of Lashkar Bonalu Jatara on Sunday.
The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, MLA Danam Nagender, offered silk cloths to Ujjaini Mahankali Ammavaru on behalf of the government. Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya, BJP Telangana Chief N Ramchander Rao, BRS leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Marri Rajashekhar Reddy and other political leaders offered prayers at Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam.
The women folks were seen carrying Bonam standing in queue lines right from the early hours on Sunday. The temple authorities provided six queue lines to control the crowd. The authorities provided separated queue lines for the Shiva Sattulu for early darshan. The shiva sathulu expressed satisfaction on the arrangements. The devotees from different parts of the city started coming to the temple in the afternoon. The main attraction of the jatara, the Potharajus along with the Phalaharam Bandis started coming in the evening. The fully decorated 'Thottelu' and Palaharam bandis were seen late in the night on Sunday. There were some 'child potharajus' who were dancing to the teenmar tunes of drums.
The police provided heavy bandobast with 2,500 personnel near the temple with task force and 'She Teams'. There were 'She Teams' police to ensure the safety of women.
A control room was set up by the Mahankali police to keep track of the happenings near the temple. The GHMC, water board also provided the arrangements like announcements, water packets and others.
People not only from Hyderabad city but also from neighbouring districts came in large numbers. While many had darshan happily, some of the devotees were upset with the authorities not accepting the passes. 'We had passes but the officials did not allow us inside. We had to wait for more than one and a half hour to get inside the temple,' said a devotee Nagraj while standing in the queue. A woman Megha Srinivas Chaudhary said that she had been coming here every year and the arrangements have been good. Another devotee Shirisha, who came from Turkyamjal said that she has been coming since her childhood. 'I like this festival and I come here every year. Now I am married but never miss the darshan of Ammavaru,' said Shirisha. The Lashkar Bonalu will culminate on Monday with rendering of Rangam and a big procession of Phalaharam bandis.
