CM Revanth Reddy joins Lashkar Bonalu at Secunderabad
Synopsis
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy participated in the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu Jathara at Secunderabad on 2 August 2026, joining thousands of devotees for the Lashkar Bonalu festival — one of Telangana's most significant annual cultural observances.
Key Takeaways
Revanth Reddy attended the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu Jathara at Secunderabad on 2 August 2026 .
The event is part of Lashkar Bonalu 2026 , among the most prominent jatharas in the Telangana festival calendar.
Bonalu involves devotees offering cooked rice in earthen pots to Goddess Mahankali , with the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple as the focal point.
Telangana governments have provided official support for Bonalu celebrations since state formation in 2014 .
CM Revanth Reddy has been in office since December 2023 , representing the Congress party.
Tens of thousands of devotees filled the streets of Secunderabad on Sunday, 2 August 2026, as Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy joined the faithful at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple for the celebrated Lashkar Bonalu Jathara — one of the grandest expressions of Telangana's living cultural identity.
The Chief Minister's Office of Telangana announced his participation live, with the CM taking part in the annual Bonalu procession and temple rituals. The event, broadcast live, underscored the scale and civic significance that Lashkar Bonalu commands in the twin-city calendar every year.
What Lashkar Bonalu means to Secunderabad
Bonalu — derived from the Telugu word bonam (meaning 'food offering') — is an annual Telangana festival in which devotees carry earthen pots of cooked rice on their heads as an offering to Goddess Mahankali. The Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad is the spiritual epicentre of these processions, drawing worshippers from across the twin cities and beyond. Lashkar Bonalu, held at Secunderabad — a city with deep cantonment roots — is among the most prominent of the festival's multiple jatharas. Since Telangana's formation in 2014, successive state governments have elevated Bonalu as a visible state-level observance, extending official support through security arrangements, traffic management, and temple grants. The Chief Minister's personal presence this year continues that tradition.CM's attendance and the politics of cultural participation
Revanth Reddy, who took charge as Chief Minister in December 2023 representing the Congress party, has made public participation in Telangana's major festivals a consistent feature of his tenure. Across India, state leaders routinely attend prominent religious and cultural events to affirm ties with constituents — but in Telangana, where cultural pride around festivals like Bonalu and Bathukamma runs especially deep, the symbolism carries added weight. Showing up is not merely ceremonial; it is a statement about who the state belongs to. With the 2026 Bonalu season underway, attention will now turn to subsequent jatharas and whether the government announces any fresh support measures for temple infrastructure or festival arrangements ahead of Bathukamma later in the year.Point of View
Being seen at Bonalu — rather than merely issuing a statement — carries deliberate political weight. The broader arc here is Telangana's post-2014 project of institutionalising its festivals as markers of statehood pride, with official participation now an expected, not optional, ritual of governance.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lashkar Bonalu?
Lashkar Bonalu is a major annual Bonalu jathara held at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad, one of the most prominent Bonalu events in Telangana's festival calendar.
What is Bonalu festival in Telangana?
Bonalu is an annual Telangana festival in which devotees offer cooked rice in earthen pots to Goddess Mahankali, accompanied by processions and temple rituals across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
Did CM Revanth Reddy attend Bonalu 2026?
Yes, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy participated in the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu Jathara at Secunderabad on 2 August 2026 as part of Lashkar Bonalu 2026.
Where is the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple?
The Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple is located in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, and serves as the spiritual centre of the Lashkar Bonalu processions.
When did Telangana become a separate state?
Telangana became a separate state on 2 June 2014, and since then successive state governments have officially supported Bonalu celebrations each year.
