Bonalu

Bonalu – The Folk Festival of Mother Goddess

Ashada Month Celebrations | Secunderabad Lashkar Bonalu | Potharaju & Rangam Traditions

22 Days | Regional Goddesses | Thottelu | Palaharam Bandi | Oracle Foretelling

Bonalu is a folk festival dedicated to the Mother Goddess, very famous and loved by people. It is celebrated during the rainy season month of Ashada (around July/August) and goes on usually for twenty‑two days. A minimum of twenty days is conceptually required to fulfil the promises given to the mother goddess by carrying out pooja on the very first day and last day.

Meaning of Bonalu & Worshipped Deities

Bonalu derived from Bhojanalu meaning food, which is offered to the mother goddess. Bonalu involves the worship of Mother Goddess in regional forms including:

Regional Goddesses Worshipped

• Gangalamma
• Ellamma / Yellamma
• Mutyalamma
• Mallanna
• Maisamma
• Peddhamma
• Dokkalamma
• Ankalamma
• Poleramma
• Maremma
• Nookalamma
• Samakka and Pochamma

Women Carrying Bonalu & The Spirit of Mother Goddess

Women carrying Bonalu are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess, and when they go towards the temple, people pour water on their feet to pacify the spirit, who is believed to be aggressive. Every group of devotees offers a Thottelu (a small colourful paper structure supported by sticks) as a mark of respect to the goddess.

Potharaju – The Brother of Mother Goddess

According to mythology, Potharaju is the brother of the Mother Goddess. His role is played in the procession by a well‑built, bare‑bodied man, wearing a small tightly draped red dhoti, bells on his ankles, and anointed with turmeric on his body and vermilion on his forehead. He dances to resounding drums in the procession. Potharaju always dances in front of the Palaharam Bandi (the procession vehicle). He is considered the initiator of the festivities and the protector of the community. He leads the female dancers who are under the spell of the Mother Goddess (known as shigam) to the temple, with lashing whips and emerald neem leaves (margosa) tied around their waists, accompanied by trumpets and drums.

Offerings, Feast and Rituals

A non‑vegetarian family feast follows after the great offering. The meat used to prepare the meal is the meat of a goat or a rooster that has been ceremonially slaughtered, and later partaken as a meal. Peasants take whatever food they can as a display of affection to the earth goddess and eat it later. Toddy (palm wine) workers also offer toddy which they tap for their livelihood. There is no special scriptural mandate on what has to be offered. As per tradition, offerings are made to the goddess which consist of toddy, along with fowls, sheep and goat. Animals killed for community meals are not considered sacrifices.

Rangam – Performing the Oracle

Rangam (or Performing the Oracle) is held the next morning of the festival. A woman standing atop an earthen pot invokes Goddess Mahakali onto her and performs the custom. She foretells the year ahead for the devotees, answering questions about the future. This takes place before the procession is started.

Prominent Temples in Secunderabad – Lashkar Bonalu

The prominent temples in the Secunderabad “Lashkar Bonalu” include:

List of Temples

• Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam
• Sri Gandimaissamma Temple
• Sri Devi Pochamma Temple
• Sri Muthyalamma Temple
• Sri Peddamma Temple
• Sri Dokkalamma Temple
• Sri Muthyalamma Temple (second listed)
• Sri Peenugula Mallanna Temple

Out of these temples, Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple and Sri Devi Pochamma Temple are government temples. Government officials and legislators also visit and take part in the festivities.

Summary

Bonalu is a vibrant, deeply rooted folk festival of Telangana, celebrated with immense devotion in the month of Ashada. The festival involves offering bhojanalu (food) to various forms of the Mother Goddess, carrying Bonalu by women possessed by the deity’s spirit, the energetic dances of Potharaju, the colourful Thottelu, the community feast with non‑vegetarian offerings, and the prophetic Rangam (oracle) that foretells the future. The Lashkar Bonalu of Secunderabad, centred around Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple and other shrines, is the most famous celebration, attracting devotees, officials, and tourists alike. Bonalu is not merely a ritual but a living expression of folk faith, community bonding, and cultural identity.

References & Further Reading

• Telangana State Tourism – Bonalu festival brochure
• Government of Telangana – Festivals of Telangana
• Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam, Secunderabad – Official website
• Folkloristic studies on Telangana’s Mother Goddess traditions

Bonalu is a testament to Telangana’s rich folk heritage, where the divine feminine is revered with raw, ecstatic devotion. The festival bridges the ancient earth‑goddess cults with contemporary urban celebrations, preserving centuries‑old traditions while evolving with time.