Thousands Join Bonalu Festival in Hyderabad Old City

Thousands of devotees gathered in Hyderabad's Old City on Sunday, August 9, 2026, for the vibrant celebrations of the two-day Ashada Masam Bonalu festival, a traditional offering to Goddess Mahankali. The festivities, marked by colorful rituals and the sounds of drum beats, are set to conclude on Monday with grand Ghatam processions leading to the immersion of offerings in the Musi River.

The main celebrations on Sunday were centered at the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple at Lal Darwaza, with major gatherings also reported at temples in Sultan Shahi, Hari Bowli, and Uppuguda. From the early hours, women dressed in traditional attire carried decorated bonams on their heads. These pots, filled with a mixture of cooked rice, milk, jaggery, and curd, were covered with neem leaves and topped with lamps as offerings to the Goddess. Devotees waited in long queues to present their prayers, turning several parts of the historic Old City into bustling festive centers.

The festival's climax will occur on Monday with the traditional Ghatam processions. According to the schedule, processions from various temples in the Old City will converge at Lal Darwaza near the Sri Simhavahini Mahankali...