“Bonalu jatara was the time of year we looked forward to most, growing up in Hyderabad. Every single year, without fail, my friend and I have taken part ever since we met.

There are many stories behind Bonalu, but what we learnt growing up is that it’s a prayer for our community’s well-being, and a way of thanking the mother deity who protects us.

Bonalu is dedicated to Goddess Mahakali. The word Bonam comes from Bhojanam, meaning a meal or offering. We prepare rice with milk, jaggery and curd, and place it inside an earthen pot decorated with turmeric, vermilion and topped with fresh neem branches for protection and purification.

On the morning of the festival, we’d get up before sunrise, dress in our finest traditional clothes, and start preparing the Bonam offering. Through the month of Ashadam, we’d visit the Sri Jagadamba Mahankali Temple in Golconda and later the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad. The midday procession was always memorable, the Potharaju dancing ahead of us as we carried our offerings to the temples of the Mother Goddess, walking alongside hundreds of other families.

Over the years, even as many of us moved away for education and work, we’ve always made it a point to keep this tradition alive.”