On July 15, most of Hyderabad celebrated the Bonalu. A more historic venue of the celebration is at Lal Darwaza in the old city. More than 100 years ago, the Nizam’s Prime Minister Maharaja Kishen Perhsad prayed at this temple to provide relief the floods. Floods effected the whole of Hyderabad. and the flood waters reached the Charminar and went as far as Shah ali-banda which killing many people. It was believed that the epidemic which followed was the result of the anger of Mother Goddess (Ammavaru).When Maharaja Kishen Prasad offered prayers to the Goddess, then the floods came down. Since then it became an yearly ritual when people in Hyderabad and Secunderabad started offering the Bonam(bhojanam) during a Sunday in the month of aashaadam to safe gaurd from all evils. The offerings consist of cooked rice, jaggery, curd, water and other dishes which are brought in the pots and are given to the Goddess in the temples.
The Goddess at the Laldarwaza Mahankali temple is known as Simhavahini.
We first reached Akkana Madanna temple and proceeded to the Lal Darwaza temple. When we reached the venue, we were in time for the ceremony called the Potharaju Swagatham where a Potharaju would lead a procession of ladies carrying pots on their heads and enter a temple.
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