Bonalu Fervour Begins in Hyderabad amidst huge crowd of devotees
As the city prepares for the great Bonalu festival celebration, hyderabad is a hive of activity. A sizable throng of committed devotees eager to pay their respects to the Goddess flocked to Old City on sunday to witness the start of the Lal Darwaja Shree Simhavahini Ammavari Bonala Mahotsava. The Lal Darwaza festival is celebrating its 116th year this year, and worshippers are coming from all across telangana and the bordering states to offer prayers to the Goddess. The area around the temple is getting more and more congested as the number of tourists keeps rising.
The state police have made significant preparations to guarantee the Bonalu celebrations go well. On the first day of the festival, there is the Ammavari Shanti Kalyanam. On the second day, there is a big Ghata parade with Rangam Bhavishyavani and traditional Potaraju performances. To keep the temple orderly, about 500 police officers are stationed throughout, assisted by CCTV surveillance. There are five queuing lines for devotees at the temple, with two lines reserved for women who are bringing bonas.
On behalf of the state government, deputy chief minister Bhatti Vikramarka and his spouse will honour the Goddess with silk garments. Furthermore, special preparations have been undertaken in twenty-three of the ancient city's most notable temples for the Bonala festival. A related notification states that in honour of the occasion, booze stores in a few different parts of hyderabad would be shuttered for a full day. The hyderabad police Commissioner has sent out a strong warning against any infractions and made it clear that anyone trying to sell alcohol illegally on this holy day will face harsh consequences.