Bonalu
Encyclopedia
Bonalu is a Hindu festival of the Goddess of power, Mahakali
, celebrated in Hyderabad, Secunderabad
and parts of Telangana
and Rayalaseema
in India
. It is celebrated in the month of Ashada masam, in July/August. Special poojas are performed for Yellamma on the first and last day of the festival. The festival is also considered a thanksgiving to the Goddess for fulfillment of vows.
Bonam means Bojanaalu or a meal
in Telugu
, is an offering to the Goddess. Women bring cooked rice with milk
, sugar
sometimes onion
s in a brass or earthen pot, adorned with small neem branches
and turmeric
, vermilion
(kunkum) or Kadi (white chalk) and a lamp
on the top. Women place the pots on their heads and take it to Goddess temple, led by drummers and dancing men.
Goddess temples have names such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Pedamma, Dokkalamma, Ankalamma, Poleramma, Maremma, Pochamme, Maramma, Yellammma, Nookalamma etc. and are decorated with special illumination buntings and festoons.
Mahankali, located inside the Golconda fort, and follows with Secunderabad's
Ujjaini Mahakali Temple
also called as Lashkar Bonalu, Balkampet Yellamma temple
and then to the old city.
On the festival day, women wear silk sarees and jewellery. Some tranced women
dance with balancing pots (Bonam), to the rhythmic beats of drums in honour of the local Goddess.
To ward off evil spirits, in olden days, people used to sacrifice a male buffalo in front of the temple, but now, rooster
s are sometimes sacrificed.
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, who, by nature, is believed to be aggressive.
Every group of devotees offer a Thottela (a small colorful, paper structure supported by sticks), as a mark of respect.
It is believed that the Goddess comes back to her maternal home during Ashada Maasam, so people come to see her and bring offerings of food to show their love and affection, just as they would prepare a special meal when their own daughters visit them.
and bells on his ankles, and anointed with turmeric on his body and vermilion on his forehead. He dances to resounding drums.
He always dances before the Palaharam Bandi, the procession. He is considered the initiator of the festivities and the protector of the community. He leads the tranced female dancers who are under spell of the Mother Goddess (known as shigam) to the temple, with lashing whips and emerald neem leaves
(margosa) tied around their waists, accompanied by trumpets and drums.
The festival environment is quite palpable in the locality celebrating the festival, with loud-speakers playing Mother Goddess songs in folk style, and streets are decorated with neem
leaves.
, 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.
Mahakali
Mahakali , literally translated as Great Kali, is a Hindu Goddess, considered to be the consort of Shiva the God of consciousness, and as the basis of Reality and existence...
, celebrated in Hyderabad, Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
and parts of Telangana
Telangana
Telangana is a region in the present state of Andhra Pradesh, India and formerly was part of Hyderabad state which was ruled by Nizam. It is bordered with the states of Maharashtra on the north and north-west, Karnataka on the west, Chattisgarh on the north-east and Orissa to the east...
and Rayalaseema
Rayalaseema
Rayalaseema is a geographic region in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India. It includes the districts of Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool. These Telugu speaking districts were part of Madras Presidency until 1953 when Telugu speaking districts of Madras presidency were carved out to form...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It is celebrated in the month of Ashada masam, in July/August. Special poojas are performed for Yellamma on the first and last day of the festival. The festival is also considered a thanksgiving to the Goddess for fulfillment of vows.
Bonam means Bojanaalu or a meal
Meal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
in Telugu
Telugu language
Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu...
, is an offering to the Goddess. Women bring cooked rice with milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
sometimes onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s in a brass or earthen pot, adorned with small neem branches
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
and turmeric
Turmeric
Turmeric is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs temperatures between 20 °C and 30 °C and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive...
, vermilion
Sindoor
Sindoor is a traditional red or orange-red colored cosmetic powder from the Indian subcontinent, usually worn by married women along the parting of their hair. Usage of sindoor denotes that a woman is married in many Hindu communities, and ceasing to wear it usually implies widowhood...
(kunkum) or Kadi (white chalk) and a lamp
Diya (light)
A Diya, divaa, deepam, or deepak is an oil lamp usually made from clay, with a cotton wick dipped in ghee or vegetable oils....
on the top. Women place the pots on their heads and take it to Goddess temple, led by drummers and dancing men.
Goddess temples have names such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Pedamma, Dokkalamma, Ankalamma, Poleramma, Maremma, Pochamme, Maramma, Yellammma, Nookalamma etc. and are decorated with special illumination buntings and festoons.
The Ritual
Bonalu festival begins with the GolcondaGolkonda
Golkonda or Golla konda a ruined city of south-central India and capital of ancient Kingdom of Golkonda , is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad.The most important builder of Golkonda was a Hindu Kakatiya King...
Mahankali, located inside the Golconda fort, and follows with Secunderabad's
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
Ujjaini Mahakali Temple
Ujjaini Mahakali Temple
Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple is a temple in Hyderabad at Secunderabad area in Andhra Pradesh which is 191 years old. Devotees offer prayers to the goddess every day. In particular, Lakhs of devotees in Ashada Jathara pray on principal days, which fall on Sunday and Monday.It is also popular during...
also called as Lashkar Bonalu, Balkampet Yellamma temple
Balkampet
Balkampet is a developing suburb in Hyderabad, India. It is located close to other bigger suburbs such as Ameerpet, Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar, Sanathnagar and Fatehnagar. This suburb is known for its hardware business. This suburb is also a religious attraction since a famous Hindu temple Balkampet...
and then to the old city.
On the festival day, women wear silk sarees and jewellery. Some tranced women
Trance
Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.The term trance may be associated with meditation, magic, flow, and prayer...
dance with balancing pots (Bonam), to the rhythmic beats of drums in honour of the local Goddess.
To ward off evil spirits, in olden days, people used to sacrifice a male buffalo in front of the temple, but now, rooster
Rooster
A rooster, also known as a cockerel, cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels...
s are sometimes sacrificed.
Every group of devotees offer a Thottela (a small colorful, paper structure supported by sticks), as a mark of respect.
It is believed that the Goddess comes back to her maternal home during Ashada Maasam, so people come to see her and bring offerings of food to show their love and affection, just as they would prepare a special meal when their own daughters visit them.
Potharaju
Potharaju, the brother of Mother Goddess, is represented in the procession by a well-built, bare-bodied man, wearing a small tightly draped red dhotiDhoti
The dhoti or pancha is the traditional men's garment in the in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A similar garment is worn in some rural areas of Punjab province in Pakistan, but the use is fast declining...
and bells on his ankles, and anointed with turmeric on his body and vermilion on his forehead. He dances to resounding drums.
He always dances before the Palaharam Bandi, the procession. He is considered the initiator of the festivities and the protector of the community. He leads the tranced female dancers who are under spell of the Mother Goddess (known as shigam) to the temple, with lashing whips and emerald neem leaves
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
(margosa) tied around their waists, accompanied by trumpets and drums.
The Feast
Bonalu is a festival of offering to the Goddess and families share the offering with family members and guests. A non-vegetarian family feast follows after the offering.The festival environment is quite palpable in the locality celebrating the festival, with loud-speakers playing Mother Goddess songs in folk style, and streets are decorated with neem
Neem
Azadirachta indica is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its fruits and seeds are the source of neem oil...
leaves.
Rangam
Rangam, or Forecasting of the Future, is held the morning the next day of the festival. Women under spell foretell the year ahead when devotees ask about the future. This takes place before the procession is started.Ghatam
Ghatam is a copper potCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, 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
Akkanna Madanna Temple
Akkanna Madanna Temple is a Hindu temple located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It is popular during the festival of Bonalu that is celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad...
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
Nayapul
Nayapul is one of the oldest commercial suburbs of Hyderabad, India. This suburb gets it name after the bridge that was built during the time of the Nizams called as Nayapul because it was new, there already was another bridge called as Puaranapul...
.
A carnival-like
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
atmosphere, where thousands of people wait along the main streets of Laldarwaza to Nayapul
Nayapul
Nayapul is one of the oldest commercial suburbs of Hyderabad, India. This suburb gets it name after the bridge that was built during the time of the Nizams called as Nayapul because it was new, there already was another bridge called as Puaranapul...
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
Uppuguda
Uppuguda is one of the old suburbs in Hyderabad, India. It is part of the old city of Hyderabad.-Public transport:Uppuguda is connected by buses run by APSRTC, since a Bus Depot is close by, it is well connected. Buses that run are 75A and 67B....
, Miralam Mandi and Kasaratta, the Jagadamba temple of Sultanshahi, Bangaru Mysamma temple of Shalibanda
Shalibanda
Shah Ali Banda is one of the old suburbs in Hyderabad, India. It is part of the old city of Hyderabad. It is only a kilometer away from Charminar.There is a famous temple of Bangaru Mysamma here popular during the festival of Bonalu....
, Alijah Kotla and Gowlipura, and Sultanshahi, Darbar Mysamma of Aliabad
Aliabad
Aliabad is one of the old suburbs in Hyderabad, India. It is part of the old city of Hyderabad. It is very close to the historic Charminar.Aliabad is situated about 2.5 km from Charminar towards Falaknuma palace. Aliabad Darwaza is one of the 8 entrances to the erstwhile Hyderabad...
and Mutyalamma temple of Chandulal Bela.