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Events guide

Bonalu: Telangana Festival of the Goddess

In the month of Ashada, usually July and August, Hyderabad and Secunderabad celebrate Bonalu with processions, music and offerings.

By Vikram Goud ยท Updated 15 June 2025

What Bonalu means

Bonam means meal. Women carry decorated pots of cooked rice, jaggery and curd as offerings to the goddess. Bonalu is a state festival of Telangana.

The sequence

Celebrations begin at Golconda, move to the Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad, and then to Lal Darwaza and other temples across the Old City on following Sundays.

Etiquette

This is a religious festival. Dress modestly, follow queues, and ask before photographing people.

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