Bonalu Festival
21 Jul, 2025
Monday
Bonalu Festival on 21-07-2025
Tithi Begin Time:
Krishna Paksha Ekadashi: Jul 20 12:13 PM – Jul 21 09:39 AM
Tithi End Time:
Krishna Paksha Dwadashi: Jul 21 09:39 AM – Jul 22 07:05 AM
Nakshatra, Muhurat (Start Time):
Rohini Nakshatra: Jul 20 10:53 PM – Jul 21 09:07 PM
Nakshatra, Muhurat (End Time):
Mrigashira Nakshatra: Jul 21 09:07 PM – Jul 22 07:24 PM
About Bonalu Festival 2025
What is Bonalu(बोनालु)?
The word Bonalu comes from "Bhojanalu", which means a feast or lavish meal with revelry. People believe that Goddess Mahakali visits their home during this time to bless them and protect them from negativity and obstacles in life.
Importance & Significance of Bonalu
Bonalu is a traditional Hindu festival of Telangana focused and worship to Goddess Mahakali. This festival is celebrated annually in South India especially by the Telugu communities as well as in other parts of the state. It is celebrated in the month of Aashadha, which falls around August. On the first and last days of the festival, certain special pujas and rituals are performed according to traditions for Yellamma, one of the many regional forms of Mahakali. This festival is also considered as a festival to thank the Goddess for fulfilling all kinds of vows.
Women wearing Bonalu are believed to contain the spirit of the Mother Goddess, and when they approach the temple, people pour water on their feet to appease the spirit, as the spirit is believed to be aggressive. happens.
Women wear traditional sarees, jewellery and other accessories on this special occasion. Adolescent girls wear a half saree or lehenga choli and jewellery to enhance their traditional attire. Some trans women dance by balancing a pot called a “Bonam” to the rhythmic beat of a drum in honour of the local goddess. In ancient times, people used to sacrifice a male buffalo in front of the temple to ward off evil spirits, but now chicken is sacrificed instead.
