Bonalu festivities begin at Secunderabad’s Ujjaini Mahankali temple amid tight security
HYDERABAD: The two-day Bonalu festival began at the historic Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad on Sunday. Thousands of devotees from Hyderabad and nearby districts visited the temple from early morning. Meanwhile, authorities enforced elaborate security and traffic arrangements to ensure the festival passed off smoothly.
Devotees gather in large numbers
The temple and surrounding streets wore a festive look. Residents’ welfare associations and youth groups decorated roads with colourful flowers and LED lights. As a result, the entire area reflected the spirit of Bonalu.
Long queues formed outside the temple before sunrise as devotees waited to offer prayers to Goddess Mahankali. To manage the rush, the Endowments Department created separate queues for general devotees and women carrying bonam offerings.
Women dressed in traditional pattu sarees carried bonam, a decorated pot containing cooked rice mixed with jaggery. They offered it to the Goddess as a mark of gratitude for fulfilling their wishes.
AI surveillance strengthens security
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar offered prayers at the temple and reviewed the security arrangements. He said the police deployed more than 2,500 personnel across the temple area.
“We are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor suspicious movement and identify pickpockets,” Sajjanar told reporters. He also said the police deployed additional SHE Teams to prevent harassment of women during the celebrations.
Meanwhile, police enforced traffic restrictions in Secunderabad and nearby localities. They erected barricades on key approach roads to regulate queues and maintain smooth movement of devotees throughout the festival.
