Thousands of devotees thronged the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali Temple atop the historic Golconda Fort on Thursday as the annual Ashadam Bonalu festivities got under way. Devotees carried Bonam through the streets even as teen maar drums played and Pothurajus danced ahead of the procession, marking the beginning of Telangana’s most celebrated folk festival.
Bonalu is widely traced to 1813, when a plague outbreak struck the twin cities. Devotees prayed to Goddess Mahakali, vowing to offer Bonam if the epidemic ended. When it subsided, the offering, rice cooked with jaggery and curd, was made in gratitude, a practice that has continued for over two centuries.
The Telangana government has released ₹15.05 crore for arrangements across 3,427 temples within Greater Hyderabad. The festival will move across the city over the coming weeks: Balkampet Yellamma Kalyanotsavam from July 20 to 22, the main Bonalu at Ujjaini Mahankali Temple, Secunderabad, on August 2, the Rangam ceremony on August 3, and Bonalu at Lal Darwaza on August 9, before concluding processions on August 10, a public holiday in Telangana.
Among the performers leading Thursday’s procession was a man who has taken on the role of Pothuraju at Golconda for the past 12 years. He began accompanying his uncle’s group in his twenties and now performs with four others from his neighbourhood, a team that has stayed together for nearly a decade.
“It takes two of us just to get one person ready properly. From applying the turmeric and vermilion to tying the ankle bells, every detail takes time.”
According to tradition, Pothuraju is regarded as the brother of Mahakali Ammavaru. Performers walk ahead of the procession with a whip, clearing the path for the women carrying Bonam.
“That moment is sacred, and it’s our duty to see nothing disturbs it. Makeup alone costs ₹15,000 to ₹20,000, and across the month we spend close to ₹1,00,000 in total. We don’t see it as an expense. It’s something we owe her. Every Bonam carried is a prayer for the family’s health, and that’s what our elders taught us.”
📍 Sri Jagadamba Mahankali Temple.