If there is a festival in Hyderabad that has the smell of the earth, it has to be Bonalu. A raw earthy flavour and feel that is as mesmerising as a magician’s act. As the rainy season moves into top gear and the Hindu month of Aashadam begins, the residents flock to temples of goddesses — Jagadamba, Mahankali, Mahamayee, Yellamma, Maisamma and other names. Temples of the region spurt to life with a riot of festivities and drama for this year.
Native practice
One of the oldest temples for Jagadamba is atop the Golconda hill. Wedged between rocks, is the small cave-like structure with the idol of the Goddess where the worshippers go to pray. The cooked offerings are given at a lower level. Climbing and reaching the temple appears like an ordeal even for the really fit folks, but a few devout worshippers take it to the next level by applying vermilion and turmeric on the steps. They squat down at each step and patiently apply the yellow and red layers turning the steps into a work of art. A few others crawl up the hill on their knees as thanksgiving for prayers answered. The foothills or rather the Nagina Bagh area becomes a hub of activity for sacrificial offerings and cooking. Smoke and the redolent odour of cooking meat rises from the rooms known as camel stables. The air has a feel of a picnic as families spread out bedsheets and carpets before sitting down to tuck in.
How this temple dedicated to a goddess has survived and thrived even when Hyderabad was ruled by Muslim rulers for nearly 450 years is a testimony of coexistence of faiths. Incidentally, devotees have to pass the Ibrahim Masjid before they reach the abode of the Goddess.
The procession of the Goddess begins at the Langar Houz temple and the potharajus or the guardians of the Goddess stop by to pray at a dargah before the Fateh Darwaza. Drums, dance and the occasional whiplash of the whip make way for the Rangam, the lady who goes into a trance, predicts the future and answers questions of those with spiritual troubles.
Perhaps the second oldest temple dedicated to the Goddess is the Akkanna-Madanna temple in the old city. But one of the grandest celebrations of Bonalu is at the Ujjaini Mahankali temple. The temple dates back to the Asaf Jahi rulers when soldiers from Hyderabad worked in the East India Company.
Origin of a legend
According to folk history, soldiers from Secunderabad (older name Laskhar) were sent to a battlefront near Ujjain when they got to know about a plague in Secunderabad and Hyderabad. One of the soldiers entered the Mahankali temple in Ujjain and prayed there. By the time the soldiers returned, the pestilence had subsided and the soldier who made a vow installed a small wooden idol in the present day location. As the faith evolved, the temple has only become bigger.
This year, the government of Telangana is spending ₹15 crores to celebrate Bonalu in the State.
