Secunderabad bonalu begins with grandeur, Ponnam Prabhakar presents first bonam
The city is abuzz with the festivities of the Lashkar Bonalu . Devotees flocked to the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad from the early hours of Sunday to offer 'Bonam' to the Goddess.
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar presented the first 'Bonam' to the Goddess on behalf of the government. Temple authorities arranged three queue lines for general devotees and two separate lines for those coming to offer 'Bonam'. The surrounding areas of Secunderabad were filled with the bustle of devotees arriving for the offerings.
The 'Rangam' ceremony-where the Goddess's oracle delivers a prophecy-is scheduled for Monday. Officials estimate that hundreds of thousands of devotees will attend. In light of this, extensive police security and CCTV surveillance have been put in place across the area. Special water camps have been set up to ensure the comfort of visiting devotees, alongside health camps and ambulances organized by the Medical and Health Department. A specific time slot-from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM-has been allocated for 'Shiva Shakthis' to have a *darshan* of the Goddess. Processions featuring the Goddess's Phalahara Bandlu scheduled for both Sunday and Monday nights.
The Secunderabad traffic police in made extensive arrangements for the Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu festival. Special security measures were in place for the festival, which runs from August 2 to 4. Special attention is being paid to monitoring parking areas and regulating traffic. Police have advised devotees to strictly adhere to traffic guidelines during the festival.

