Hyderabad-Bonalu

History of Hyderabad Bonalu

The festival’s history can be traced to as recent as the 18th century, unlike most other festivals whose ancestry can be traced back to the hoary past. The story has it that in 1813, Suriti Appaiah, a ‘doli’ bearer in a military battalion, was transferred to Ujjain. Cholera broke out in Hyderabad around that time claiming thousands of lives.

Appaiah and his associates went to the Mahankaal temple in Ujjain and prayed that if people were saved from the epidemic, they would install the idol of Mahankali in Secunderabad. On their return, they installed a wooden idol of the goddess in Secunderabad in July 1815. This was replaced with a stone statue in 1964.

Following brahminical traditions, all hoary Hindu festivals are marked by astrological precision: their timings marked in terms of the sun/moon entering certain constellations in certain months. But Bonalu is a festival of the farming and lower classes and is certainly not brahminical. So the timing of the celebrations is not so rigorous

Where and When in Hyderabad

Bonalu is celebrated in various parts of the city on different days, all Sundays. On the 1st Sunday of “Ashaada”, celebrations are held at the temple at Golconda fort. On the 2nd Sunday, at Ujjain Mahankali in Secunderabad, and the 3rd Sunday, at the Matheswari temple of Lal Darwaza in Old City.

About Bonalu

Bonalu involves the worship of Kali and her various forms. She destroys disease and keeps pestilence at arms length. Three deities Maisamma, Pochamma and Elamma, are worshipped. The performances are marked by an element of aggression. Potharaju, a masculine power, is believed to weed out all evils. During Bonalu, colourful brass pots, smeared with haldi and kumkum, and decorated with neem leaves are offered to the goddess. The pots usually contain a mixture of raw rice, jiggery, and milk. Sometimes, curd is also used. 

The Ritual of Hyderabad Bonalu

Earlier they used to sacrifice a male-buffalo. Now goats and chickens are sacrificed to ward off the ‘evil spirit’ Women carrying Bonalu are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess, and when they go towards the temple, people pour water on their feet to pacify the spirit. On the first day of Bonalu, phalaram bandlu, a buffalo cart, laden with fruits is taken around (phalaru means fruits and bandlu, carts)

Rangam in Hydearabad Bonalu

Rangam, or Forecasting of the Future, Women under spell foretell the year ahead when devotees ask about the future.On the second day of the festival, a ritual known as ‘rangam’ is held. Here, a woman stands on a wet clay pot and makes predictions. This is held mostly between8.30 am and 9.30. An hour later, a procession is taken out on an elephant up to Mettuguda. Earlier, Mettuguda was the border of the city. To this day, the tradition continues.

Ghatam

Ghatam is a copper pot, decorated in the form of mother goddess. The Ghatam is carried by a priest , who wears a traditional dhoti and body with smeared in turmeric . The Ghatam is taken into procession from first day of the festival till last day, when it is immersed in water . The Ghatam in usually accompanied by drums.

Ghatam is followed after Rangam. The festival concludes with immersion of Ghatam. The ghatam of Haribowli's Akkanna Madanna Temple leads the procession, placed atop an elephant and accompanied by mounted horses and models depicting Akkanna and Madanna. It ends in the evening with a glittering procession and display followed by immersion of ghatams at Nayapul

                          

A carnival like atmosphere, where thousands of people wait along the main streets of Laldarwaza to Nayapul and watch the exquisitely and elaborately decorated Ghatams. Young men dance in a unique style to the drum beats and folk songs alongside Pothraju, dress-up in various mythological roles.

The Ghatams of the Old city procession include the Mahankali temples in Haribowli Akkanna-Madanna, Laldarwaza, Uppuguda, Miralam Mandi and Kasaratta, the Jagadamba temple of Sultanshahi, Bangaru Mysamma temple of Shalibanda, Alijah Kotla and Gowlipura, and Sultanshahi, Darbar Mysamma of Aliabad and Mutyalamma temple of Chandulal Bela.

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