Bonalu celebrations hit high note at Golconda temple

HYDERABAD: Devotees from across the state gathered at the Jagadamba temple inside Golconda Fort from early on Sunday morning to celebrate Bonalu and offer prayers to the deity.

The celebrations at the Golconda temple mark the start of the festival, which will eventually be celebrated across temples in the city, by July 20.

The scene at the Golconda temple was one of fervour, with people climbing about 360 steps to reach the temple and some stopping at each step to apply turmeric and saffron to the step before reaching the sanctum sanctorum.

Devotees were well prepared to deal with rain, bringing along their umbrellas, as the monsoon has kicked in over the past weekend.

Govind Raju, former chairman of the Jagadamba Temple, said that next Sunday, devotees will turn up with ‘thottelu’ which are colourful artefacts people make and carry in a Bonalu procession.

There was traffic congestion on roads leading to the fort. For puja days, the Hyderabad traffic police advised commuters to take detours from 8 am to 11 pm on June 29, July 2, July 6, July 9, July 13, July 16 and July 20.