Thousands visit Ujjaini Mahankali temple for Bonalu in Secunderabad; CM Revanth offers silk robes

Hyderabad: The centuries-old Bonalu festival began with traditional fervour at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad on Sunday, as chief minister A Revanth Reddy offered silk robes to the Goddess and thousands of devotees gathered to offer Bonam and seek blessings.

CM performs special rituals

CM Revanth visited the temple along with several ministers, MLAs, MLCs and VIPs. He offered pattu vastralu (silk robes) to Goddess Mahankali and performed special rituals, praying for the welfare and prosperity of Telangana.

Minister offers first bonam

Earlier in the day, Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and his wife offered the first Bonam on behalf of the State government, marking the ceremonial commencement of the celebrations.

Devotees chanted hymns and traditional songs, filling the temple premises with devotional fervour.

Massive devotee turnout

Thousands of devotees thronged the temple from early morning to offer Bonalu and participate in rituals. To manage the huge turnout, six queue lines were set up for darshan, along with two dedicated lines for Bonam offerings. Special access was arranged for Shivasattu participants between 1 pm and 3 pm from RP Road and the Bata showroom.

Elaborate security arrangements

In view of the festival rush and VIP visits, tight security arrangements were enforced. Over 2,500 police personnel, including Law and Order units, SHE Teams and the Task Force, have been deployed to ensure public safety.