Spiritual piety marks the beginning of Bonalu

As a harsh June solar beat down on the stone steps of Golconda fort, a whole bunch of ladies, some males dressed as ladies, bent down to use vermillion and turmeric to the steps resulting in the traditional Jagadambika Temple on crest of the hillock. As males whipped up teen-maar beat on drums and on tin sheets, some ladies carried pots stuffed with cooked rice capped with a flaming torch. 

A devotee making use of kumkuma to the temple steps throughout conventional annual Bonalu competition in Golconda fort in Hyderabad.
| Picture Credit score:
G RAMAKRISHNA

“Bonalu marks the start of Aashadam. It marks a change of season and this providing is to make sure that the Goddess takes care of us by way of well being. Right this moment, what we’re doing in metlu puja (worship the steps),” stated one of many devotees marking the steps with turmeric and vermilion. Outdoors the primary fort complicated, police officers barricaded the traditional routes. A lot of the devotees needed to stroll distances starting from 2 to three km to achieve the doorway of the fort.

A portray of Goddess Durga adores a boulder of the Golconda Fort temple throughout the Bonalu competition in Hyderabad.
| Picture Credit score:
G RAMAKRISHNA

“I needed to park my car exterior the Banjari Darwaza. It’s practically a two kilometre stroll after which there are these 350 steps,” stated Ramesh, who got here together with his pals from Chintal Basti close to Khairatabad to hope to the Goddess. A whole bunch of policemen lined the route managing visitors at the same time as politicians turned up with convoy of SUVs within the slim streets of Jinsi Bazaar, Moti Darwaza, Rethi Gali, and Bada Bazaar highway. “I’ve been right here from 8 a.m. I should be there until it will get over at 8 p.m.,” stated a police official managing the group close to Jagdambika Temple because the devotees scrambled and searched for his or her footwear. 

There are 9 puja days for Bonalu unfold over the month on Thursdays and Sundays, with the primary being on the Golconda Fort.  

“This sort of rush is a contemporary phenomenon. Until 1986, we used to get solely 10 to fifteen households providing bonams (pots of providing) to the Goddess. The entry ticket was 50 paise then. It modified in 2016 when the variety of devotees surged into lakhs. One other large leap occurred in 2021,” stated O. Durgappa, who labored as monument attender of the Golconda Fort retiring in 2020.