(MENAFN- IANS) Hyderabad, July 21 (IANS) Lashkar Bonalu, which symbolises the unique culture of Telangana, began amid traditional fanfare and gaiety in Secunderabad here on Sunday with thousands of devotees offering prayers at Ujjaini Mahankali temple.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made offerings to the deity and participated in special puja. In keeping with the tradition, the Chief Minister personally presented the silk robes on behalf of the state government.
He was accompanied by transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar and MLA D. Nagender.
Union Minister for coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and his wife also had darshan of Ujjaini Mahankali. He said that the tradition of Bonalu celebrations has been continuing for more than 100 years. No other part of the country has this kind of celebration, he said.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Malkajgiri MP Eatala Rajender, Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Sreenivas Reddy and other prominent personalities also offered prayers.
Women devotees offered 'Bonam', containing cooked rice, jaggery, curd and neem leaves to goddess Mahankali.
The temple and streets around it wore a festive look as the women clad in their best participated in various cultural programmes.
Authorities made elaborate arrangements for the smooth and peaceful conduct of the celebrations. Separate queues were formed for women devotees.
The festival will conclude on Monday with the famous 'Rangam' where predictions about the state's future will be made by an unmarried woman, followed by the Ghatam procession.
This will be followed by a procession of a caparisoned elephant carrying a portrait of the deity. Smeared with turmeric and vermilion, 'potharajus' dance to rhythmic drum beats in the procession that will pass through various areas.
Ashada Bonalu is a festival held in the month of Ashada, according to the Hindu calendar, celebrating the goddess Mahankali. Devotees, especially women make offerings in the form of food to goddess Mahankali in specially decorated pots.
During the festival, people also hold 'rangam' or forecast the future, and organise processions and cultural events.
Bonalu in Secunderabad, or Lashkar Bonalu as it is called, is the second phase of the nearly month-long traditional festival in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The festival began on July 7 at the Jagadambika Temple on Golconda Fort.
The festivities at Sri Simhavahini Mahankali temple in Lal Darwaza and at Sri Akkanna Madanna Mahankali temple in Haribowli in the old city of Hyderabad will be held on July 28.
It is commonly believed that the festival was first celebrated over 150 years ago following a major cholera outbreak. People believed that the epidemic was due to the anger of Mahankali and began offering Bonalu to placate her.
After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the then-TRS government declared Bonalu as the state festival.
This year, the Congress government has released Rs 20 crore for celebrating Bonalu.
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