HYDERABAD: There is no denying that one of the top attractions of Bonalu, which starts here on Sunday, apart from the unique rituals is the mesmerising and colourful presence of Pothurajus.
Any pot-bellied Potharaju makes for a visual treat during the processions, with turmeric applied all over the body, vermillion on the forehead, anklets and whips in their hands.
Prominent Potharajus, who will take part in the procession this year, include Posani Ashwin Mudiraj, Karkonda Mohan Raj, K. Lakshmaiah, Madhuri Prakesh, Naveen Kumar, Bikshapati and Tiraka Rambabu.
Legend has it that the seven deities, who are sisters of Potharaju, asked devotees that their brother should accompany them during the procession. It has remained so all through.
One of the oldest Potharaju families is that of Posani Babbaiah Mudiraj, which will be completing 116 years this Bonalu.
A welcome feature this year will be the presence of five-year-old Satya Sham, a UKG student, from the fourth generation Karkonda Potharaju family. It is said that Sham’s grandfather Satyanarayana Potharaju used to bite the neck of a goat to sacrifice it to the deity when was possessed by the sprit. He was a Potharaju for 53 years. Members of the Karkonda family have been Potharajus since 1952.
