Kishan Reddy extends Lashkar Bonalu wishes to Telangana
Synopsis
Union Coal and Mines Minister and BJP Telangana president G. Kishan Reddy extended greetings for the Secunderabad Ujjayini Mahankali Bonalu, invoking Sanskrit verses and praying for the health and happiness of all Telangana residents.
Key Takeaways
Kishan Reddy , Union Minister of Coal and Mines and BJP Telangana state president, posted Bonalu greetings on 2 August 2026 .
The festival referenced is Lashkar Bonalu at the Ujjayini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad , among the most prominent Bonalu celebrations in Telangana.
Reddy invoked a Sanskrit shloka saluting Goddess Mahakali and prayed for the well-being of all Telangana residents.
Key rituals highlighted include tottela ooregimpulu (cradle processions) and ghata ooregimpulu (sacred pot processions).
Bonalu is observed during the Ashada month of the Telugu calendar, with Secunderabad's Lashkar Bonalu marking the start of the festival cycle.
Faith, colour, and the thunder of processions — Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy on Sunday, 2 August 2026, extended warm greetings to Telangana on the occasion of the Secunderabad Ujjayini Mahankali Bonalu, popularly known as Lashkar Bonalu, one of the most celebrated festivals in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
In a Telugu post on X, the minister invoked a Sanskrit shloka — 'Namastetu Mahakali Peetakshara Nivasini' — saluting the goddess as the protector of devotees and the embodiment of universal power. He expressed his heartfelt wish that every person celebrate the festival with devotion and joy, and prayed that Goddess Mahankali bless the people of Telangana with long life, good health, happiness, and peace.
Tottela and Ghata processions at the heart of Lashkar Bonalu
Reddy specifically referenced the tottela ooregimpulu (cradle processions) and ghata ooregimpulu (sacred pot processions) — the two defining rituals that animate the Bonalu season. Devotees carry decorated earthen pots filled with cooked rice and jaggery as offerings to the goddess, moving in colourful processions through the streets of Secunderabad.
The Ujjayini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad is the historic anchor of Lashkar Bonalu, its celebrations drawing lakhs of devotees from across Telangana each year during the Ashada month of the Telugu calendar. The festival marks the beginning of the broader Bonalu cycle observed across Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
BJP's Telangana connect through cultural outreach
As BJP Telangana state president, Reddy's public greeting carries both devotional and political resonance. Senior BJP leaders have consistently used major regional festivals as occasions to affirm cultural solidarity with Telangana's traditions — and Bonalu, with its deep roots in Telangana's identity, is among the most significant of those touchstones.
The goddess's blessings, Reddy wrote, should reach every person in Telangana — a sentiment that lands as both a spiritual wish and a public embrace of the state's living heritage.
Point of View
Making public participation by BJP leaders symbolically significant in a state where the party is working to expand its footprint. The greeting signals continuity in the party's approach of cultural affirmation as political outreach, particularly ahead of any future electoral cycle in Telangana.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lashkar Bonalu?
'Lashkar Bonalu' refers to the Bonalu celebrations held at the Ujjayini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad, one of the most prominent events in the Telangana Bonalu festival cycle observed during the Ashada month.
What is the Ujjayini Mahankali Temple?
The Ujjayini Mahankali Temple is a historic temple in Secunderabad, Hyderabad, dedicated to Goddess Mahankali and renowned as the primary venue for the Lashkar Bonalu celebrations that draw lakhs of devotees each year.
Why did G. Kishan Reddy post about Bonalu?
As Union Minister of Coal and Mines and BJP Telangana state president, Reddy extended public greetings for the Lashkar Bonalu festival, praying for the health, happiness, and peace of all Telangana residents.
What are tottela and ghata processions in Bonalu?
Tottela ooregimpulu (cradle processions) and ghata ooregimpulu (sacred pot processions) are the central rituals of Bonalu, in which devotees carry decorated earthen pots of offerings through the streets to the goddess's temple.
When is Bonalu celebrated in Telangana?
Bonalu is celebrated during the Ashada month of the Telugu calendar, typically falling between July and August, with the Secunderabad Lashkar Bonalu marking the beginning of the broader festival cycle across Hyderabad.
