Bonalu Festival 2022: Date, Time, History, And Significance

Add as a preferred source on Google

Bonalu is a festival that comes up during Aashadha month between July and August. This year, the celebrations are going to begin on 03 July 2022 and extend up to 24 July 2022. Goddess Yellamma is the chief deity who is worshipped with special pujas during the first and last day of the festival.

The pujas are a thanksgiving gesture to Goddessafter the devotees' wishes have been fulfilled by her. Bonam means meal, and Bonalu festival means the festival where the meal is offered to Goddess. This is the most celebrated festival in the twin cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana state, India. Scroll down the article to know more about this day.

Bonalu Festival 2022- Date and Time

Bonalu is celebrated during the month of Aashaadha between July and August. This year, it is going to be observed from 3 July 2022 to 24 July 2022.

Bonalu Festival 2022: The Feast

Bonalu is a festival in which a divine offering is made to the Goddess and is a food item made from a delicious combination of rice, cooked with milk. It is then placed in a new earthen pot that is covered with neem leaves. Turmeric and vermillion are applied to it. These colourful pots are carried by the women as an offering to goddesses. Bangles and sarees are also a part of ritual. Yellamma who is an avatar of Kali is called by several names, such as Mysamma, Yellamma, and Pochamma to name a few. Once the puja is finished, the offering is shared with the family members, friends and guests.

Bonalu Festival 2022: Puja Rituals, Worship Method

Women who carry Bonalu, almost seem possessed by the powerful Yellamma Goddess for which reason, devotees wash their feet to pacify the Goddess. Devotees also offer Thottelu paper designs supported by sticks.

Pothuraju, is the proverbial brother of the goddess, who Is represented by a well-built man in colourful folk attire. He dances to the beat of the drums, in close proximity to the Palaharam bandi. (The procession).

Rangam, or the session for the Oracular revelation is conducted the next morning. The essence of the Goddess is believed to enter the devotee at this moment wherein she answers all the questions related to the year ahead.

Ghatam or the copper pot is decorated to look like a mother goddess and carried by a priest clad in dhoti and body smeared with turmeric. The ghatam is displayed on the procession, from day one to the last day on which it is totally immersed in water. Constant drumming, throughout the procession, creates an atmosphere of gaiety and wild enthusiasm. Ghatams arrive from all the temples in a similar fashion wherein the leading ghatam belongs to the Akkanna Madanna Temple in Hari bowli. Immersion of ghatam is carried out at Nayapul.

Bonalu Festival 2022: History And Significance

Once upon a time, plague, (an epidemic) in colossal proportions, had broken out in the twin cities of Hyderabad & Secunderabad in 1813. Thousands of lives had succumbed to it. The military battalion from Hyderabad arrived at the scene in Ujjain and offered prayers to Mahakali in Ujjain to end the menace in Hyderabad.

They took a pledge to install the idol of Mahakali back in Secunderabad if she fought back the menace and rid the people of its ill effects. As a result, the next instant, the epidemic resolved on its own and the battalion came back with a Mahakali idol to Secunderabad. From then onwards, the tradition of offering Bonalu to the goddess was popularized.

Bonalu Festival 2022: Celebrations

Celebrations begin as per the traditions, on the first Sunday of Ashaadha and is observed at the Golconda Fort. On the following day, it continues in Ujjain Mahakali temple in Secunderabad and Balkampet Yellamma Temple of Balkampet. On the third Sunday, the ceremonies commence at the Pochamma and Katta Maisamma Temple near Chilkalguda and the Matheswari Temple of Lal Darwaza in Hyderabad. Other temples where Bonalu is served to Goddess are Akkanna Madanna Temple in Haribowli and Muthyalamma Temple in Shah Ali Banda.

This is a very well-attended event where women dress up in traditional attire with accessories for the occasion. Traditional grace comes alive with teenage girls flaunting their half sarees along with jewels in a juvenile fashion. Some women, while dancing, balance pots, and sway to the rhythmic beating of drums, so devotedly that it takes you back in time to the long-lost traditional empire of the celestials on earth.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption
Image sources: Wikimedia Commons