Bonalu Jatara: Telangana State Festival To Begin On June 25

Hyderabad: Bonalu Jatara, the Telangana's popular annual festival to worship goddess Mahankali is all set to begin on June 25 with the offering of 'Bonam' at Golconda Jagadamba temple.

The festival is celebrated mainly in Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Telangana in month of Ashada (July – August) every year. The Mahankali temples across the twin cities will be visited by thousands of devotees on Sundays. The month long festival includes colorful processions and community feasts. After the formation of the Telangana State, the government had declared 'Bonalu' as a state festival.

June 25 - The Bonalu Jatara 2017 will begin by offering 'Bonam' at Golconda Jagadamba Temple.

July 2 - Bonam will be offered to Goddess Durga in Vijayawada Kanaka Durga Temple.

July 9 - Bonalu at the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad

July 10 - 'Rangam' and 'Phalaharam'

July 16 - 'Bonalu' in Old City

July 23 - Concluding ceremony

The first main festival is held on the first Sunday of the Ashada month at the Sri Jagadamba temple in Golconda Fort, the next main festival on the second Sunday at the Ujjain Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad and the third main festival on the third Sunday at the Matheswari Temple of Laldarwaja. The rituals are also performed in all the other Goddess Shakti in the twin cities. Goddess Shakti is worshipped as Mahakali. Goddess Shakti or Kali is popularly known as Yellamma, Pochamma, Renuka Amma, Peddamma, Mysamma, Poleramma, Ankalamma and Maramma.

The origin of the festival is traced to a major plague that killed thousands of people in 1869. People believed the plague was the result of the anger of the Goddess and started offering Bonalu (food) to pacify her anger.

The procession is highly colorful and is accompanied thousands of people and includes 'Potharaju'