HYDERABAD: Many parts of Hyderabad, particularly the Old City witnessed a festive atmosphere on Sunday as thousands of devotees thronged to various Mahakali temples on the occasion of Bonalu.The festival was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety, amidst tight security in the Old City. Serpentine queues were the norm at all Mahakali temples. The Simhavahani Mahakali Devalayam in Lal Darwaza and Akkanna Madanna Mahakali temple in Shalibanda were the main attraction centres, which witnessed a huge turnout with ministers, MPs and MLAs and devotees offering prayers.Bonalu began with women dressed in their best traditional attire offering bonam (a pot of rice mixed with turmeric powder, jaggery and curd and covered with neem leaves and a lamp on it) to goddess Mahakali at various temples. Joyous scenes were witnessed in every street as devotees danced amidst drummers, who filled the air with pulsating drum beats and Telugu folk songs were the order of the day. This year the environment was filled with slogans demanding separate statehood for Telangana.Bonalu will conclude on Monday with a procession of the goddess on a decorated elephant, passing through the main thoroughfares of Shalibanda, Charminar and Nayapul. 13 major Mahakali temples of the Old City- Lal Darwaza, Miralam Mandi, Sri Akkanna Madanna, Haribowli, Mateshwari Mutyalamna in Bela, Kota Maisamma in Gowlipura, Uppuguda Mahakali temple, Jagdamba temple in Sultan Shahi, Nalla Pochamma and Mahakali temple, Muradmahal take part in the centralised procession. All temples bring their Ghatams in a joint procession, which are immersed in the Musi.Apart from the Old City, Bonalu was celebrated at Mahakali temples in Begumpet, Ameerpet, Punjagutta, Somajiguda, Khairatabad, MS Maktha, Balanagar, Fathenagar, Nampally, Sultan Bazar, Koti, Begum Bazar, Basheerbagh, Jubilee Hills, Mehdipatnam, Masab Tank, Toli Chowki, Golconda, Langer Houz and other areas.
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