Bonalu being celebrated as State Festival from July 17

The State Government is gearing up for conducting Bonalu – the traditional festival of Telangana - in a spectacular manner commencing July 17 in twin cities. Deputy Chief Minister Mahamood Ali on Thursday held a review meeting along with Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav and officials of various departments at the Secretariat and said that Hyderabad, noted for Ganga, Jamuna Tehjib – would witness the most worshipful “Bonalu” -- the state festival. Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the officials to form a coordination committee for making fool-proof arrangements. Mahamood Ali announced that the Bonalu festivities would begin in Old City on July 17 and the departments of Home and Excise should hold a coordination meeting for the arrangements. He also asked the officials to begin arrangements in advance for the famous Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad wherein the festivities would be conducted for two days on July 24 and 25. Since the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao favoured the festival to be conducted in a better way than that of last year, as the TRS Government had announced the Bonalu as state festival, Ali stated. The Bonalu festivities would go on for about two weeks in the twin cities in four stages at various localities. The officials should form a committee to visit the temples and find the requirements of basic amenities to be arranged. Besides sanitation, repairs to the roads, drinking water and uninterrupted power supply, all the temples which will see the flock of the devout in large numbers have to be spruced up with illumination and ensure complete security.