Golconda Bonalu start festival season amid tight police security

The Bonalu festival of Telangana State started at the Golconda fort on Tursday. The ‘Ashadam’ Bonalu started off with much fervor at the fort after offering first ‘Bonam’ to Goddess Ellamma located on top of the fort in the morning. Endowments Minister Indrakaran Reddy, Cinematography Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav, City Mayor Bonthu Rammohan attended the festival and offered ‘pattu’ clothes to the goddess. In the evening a procession was held with much devotional fervor. The Bonalu procession moved to the drum beats, dances and Potharajus special feats. Women devotees carried Bonalu on their heads in traditional attire. The police made elaborate security arrangements at the fort owing to the ISIS threat on the City. The security personnel allowed the people after keen inspection through Metal Detectors. The police also arranged tight security throughout the Thottela procession route — Banjara Darwaja and Fathe Darwaja to the fort. The police deployed special police force, mounted police force along with several IPS officers and ACP, CIs, SIs and constables. Women police were also deployed in numbers. The police conducted inspections inside the fort with Bomb and Dog squads under the supervision of City Security Wing Inspector Naga Sai.