Bonalu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone or spelling. You can assist by editing it now. A how-to guide is available. (August 2007) |
| Bonalu | |
 |
|
| Observed by | primarily Hyderabad and parts of AP |
|---|---|
| Type | Festival of Goddess Durga |
| Begins | July/August |
| Celebrations | on Sundays |
| Observances | Offering to the Goddess, family feast |
Bonalu ( Telugu: బోనాలు ) is a Hindu festival celebrated in Hyderabad, Secunderabad and some parts of Telangana, in ritual honour of Mahankali, The Mother Goddess.
Bonam means Bojanaalu, meaning a meal in Telugu , is an offering to the Goddess. Women bring cooked rice mixed with milk and sugar, sometimes onions, filled with water in polished brass vessels or in earthen-pots (usually two pots), put small neem branches, spotted in scared colors of turmeric (pasupu), vermilion (kunkum), sometimes Kadi(white chalk). The bonam is lit atop with a deepam/diya and put the vessel on their heads and gather with other women, and proceed to a local Goddess temple. They are led by pounding drum beaters and dancing men.
This century-old tradition is celebrated since the time of the Nizams, who participated in the event.[citation needed]
Bonalu is also celebrated for goddess Gangamma thalli and his brother PothulaRaju in Balijapalli, Rajampet, Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh.
Contents |
[edit] The Ritual
The festival starts with the Golconda Mahankali, which is located inside the Golconda fort, and then to Secunderabad's Ujjani Mahankali temple, Balkampet Yellamma temple and then to old city and its suburbs.
Bonalu is celebrated in the month of Ashada masam, the month preceding the Shravana masam, but not in the shravana masam(usually in July/August). Special poojas are performed for Yellamma (Goddess Jagadambika ) on the first and last day of the festival.
All the areas have Goddess temples with names such as Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Pedamma, Dokkalamma,"Ankalamma","Poleramma",Maremma","pochamme","Maramma","Yellammma" etc. The festival is also considered a thanksgiving to the Goddess for fulfillment of vows.
On the festival day, women dress-up in traditional silk sarees and adorned in Jewellery go for the temple offering. The dance of tranced female dancers, often middle-aged, balancing pots (Bonalu), dance to the rhythmic beats of drums in praise of the local goddess.
In olden days, people used to sacrifice a male-buffalo in front of the temple, but now, roasters are sacrificed to ward off evil spirit, symbolizing The festival of sacrifice.
Women carrying Bonalu on their heads, are believed to possess the spirit of Mother Goddess, and when the group go towards the temple, people come out and pour water on their feet to pacify the mood, who is believed to be aggressive.
Every group of devotees, collectively offer a Thottela, a small colorful, paper structure erected with sticks), as a mark of respect.
Another version from folklore as to why it is celebrated: It is said that Goddess(Ammavaaru) comes back to her maternal home(Putillu) as its is Ashada Maasam. so folks come to see her and bring with them some offerings in the form of food to give to her as love and affection. Just like preparing special Meal when daughters comes home.
[edit] Potharaju
A man well-built, bare-bodied, turmeric-smeared on entire body, vermilion on the forehead, clad in a small tightly draped red dhoti, bells tied to the ankle and dancing to the sound of reverberating beats of drums (dappu) is fondly known as Potharaju. [1]
He is believed to be the brother of Mother Goddess, always dances before the Palaharam Bandi, taken on to the streets, also the initiator of the festivities and is considered the protector of the community. He is followed by the tranced female dancers (under spell of the Mother Goddess, called shigam) to the temple, with lashing whips and emerald neem leaves(margosa) tied around their waists, adding color to the roaring trumpets and pulsating percussion, and led by drum beaters.
[edit] The Feast
Bonalu is a festival of offering to the Goddess and families share the offering among their members and guests. After the temple offering, a non-vegetarian family feast follows in every house.
The festival environment is quite palpable in the locality celebrating this festival, with loud-speakers playing Mother Goddess songs in a distinctive Telangana-style folk song, and streets decorated with neem leaves.
[edit] Rangam
Rangam means Forecasting of the Future, is held the next morning of the festival. Some women under spell foretell the year ahead, and people come and ask questions about whats in store for them. This takes places before the procession is set out.
[edit] Ghatam
Rangam is followed by Ghatam, the festival concludes with immersion of Ghatam. The ghatam of Haribowli's Akkanna Madanna temple[2], placed atop an elephant, with mounted horses and models depicting Akkanna and Madanna, lead the procession. It ends in the evening with a glittering procession and display followed by immersion of ghatams at Nayapul.
Its a carnival-like atmosphere, where thousands of people wait along the main streets of Laldarwaza to Nayapool and watch the exquisitely and elaborately decorated Ghatams, hundreds of youth dance in a unique style to the tempting drum beats and orchestra alongside Pothrajus, and others, part of the procession, dress-up in various mythological roles is a treat to the eyes.
The Ghatams of the Old city procession include Mahankali temples of Haribowli Akkanna-Madanna, Laldarwaza, Uppuguda, Miralam Mandi, Kasaratta, Jagadamba temple of Sultanshahi, Bangaru Mysamma temple of Shahalibanda, Alijah Kotla and Gowlipura, and Sultanshahi, Darbar Mysamma of Aliabad and Mutyalamma temple of Chandulal Bela.
