Bonalu in Hyderabad & Secunderabad
Bonalu is Telangana's festival of thanksgiving to the goddess Mahakali, celebrated through the month of Ashada, which falls in July and August, and it is at its biggest in Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Women carry the bonam, a pot of rice cooked with milk and jaggery and decorated with neem leaves and a lamp, to the temple on their heads, led by a whip-cracking Pothuraju and bands of drummers. The season moves across the city in a fixed order. It opens at the Jagadamba temple inside Golconda Fort, shifts to the Ujjaini Mahakali temple in Secunderabad for Lashkar Bonalu, and ends in the Old City at the Lal Darwaza Simhavahini temple and the Akkanna Madanna temple, each followed the next morning by Rangam, when an oracle speaks, and a ghatam procession. Tradition traces the Secunderabad festival to a vow made during an epidemic in 1813. In 2026 the state scheduled Bonalu from 16 July to 13 August, with Lashkar Bonalu on Sunday 2 August and the Old City finale on Sunday 9 August. The 2027 schedule had not been announced when this page was written; the government publishes it a few weeks before Ashada begins.
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Good to know
- Each temple's main day is a Sunday, with Rangam and the procession on Monday morning. Pick the one nearest you.
- For Lashkar Bonalu, take the metro to Secunderabad East or Paradise and walk; roads around the Ujjaini Mahakali temple are closed.
- Queues for darshan are long from early morning. Carry water and expect to remove footwear well before the temple.
- Golconda Fort is very crowded on its Bonalu days; sightseers should choose another day.
- Bonalu is a state holiday in Telangana. In 2026 the holiday was listed for Monday 10 August, the day after the Old City finale.
Frequently asked questions
When is Bonalu celebrated?
Through the month of Ashada, in July and August. In 2026 the state schedule ran from 16 July to 13 August. The 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing.
Where does Bonalu start in Hyderabad?
At the Jagadamba temple inside Golconda Fort. It then moves to the Ujjaini Mahakali temple in Secunderabad and ends at the Old City temples, including Lal Darwaza.
What is Lashkar Bonalu?
The celebration at the Ujjaini Mahakali temple in Secunderabad, the largest single day of the season. In 2026 it was on Sunday 2 August, with Rangam the next morning.
What is a bonam?
An offering of rice cooked with milk and jaggery, carried to the goddess in a decorated pot.
Is Bonalu a public holiday?
Yes, it is a state holiday in Telangana. The 2026 holiday was listed for Monday 10 August.
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