Hyderabad experienced a vibrant gathering on Sunday as thousands of devotees, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, and numerous political figures, visited the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple for the Lashkar Bonalu Jatara.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, along with Endowments Minister Konda Surekha, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, and MLA Danam Nagender, presented silk cloths to Ujjaini Mahankali Ammavaru on behalf of the government. The temple also saw prayers from Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatraya, BJP Telangana Chief N Ramchander Rao, and BRS leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Marri Rajashekhar Reddy.
Women carrying Bonam stood in queues from early morning. The temple managed the crowd with six separate lines, including special arrangements for the Shiva Sattulu, who were pleased with the setup. Devotees from across the city arrived by afternoon, while the evening featured Potharajus and Phalaharam Bandis as highlights. Late into the night, the decorated ‘Thottelu’ and bandis were a spectacle, with child Potharajus dancing to drum beats.
Security was tight with 2,500 police personnel, including task force and ‘She Teams’ for women’s safety. A control room monitored the temple activities, and the GHMC and water board ensured facilities like announcements and water.
Large crowds from Hyderabad and nearby districts attended. While some enjoyed their darshan, a few faced issues with entry passes. “We had passes but still waited over an hour,” said a devotee, Nagraj. Megha Srinivas Chaudhary, a regular visitor, praised the arrangements. Shirisha from Turkyamjal shared her enduring love for the festival, stating she never misses it despite being married.
The festival will conclude on Monday with the Rangam ritual and a grand Phalaharam bandis procession.
