A member of Bhagyanagar Mahankali Temple Committee carrying bonalu in a gold pot on her head, on her way to Kanaka Durga temple, in Vijayawada on Sunday. | Photo Credit: CH_VIJAYA BHASKAR more-in Keeping up the tradition, a group of devotees from Telangana travelled all the way from Hyderabad to offer ‘bonam’ and silk robes (pattu vastralu) to presiding deity goddess Kanaka Durga atop the Indrakeeladri here on Sunday. The streets of One town and the Indrakeeladri were abuzz with chants in praise of the goddess. Devotees and artists, under the aegis of the Bhagyanagar Sri Mahankali Jathara Bonala Utsavala Ummadi Devalaya Uregimpu Committee, in good numbers arrived here to pay their obeisance as part of the auspicious Ashada Masam ritual. The devotees, as part of the Telangana tradition, took out a procession from Jammidoddi on Brahmin Street to the temple premises with colourful ‘potharajus’, dancing to the rhythmic drum beats and smearing vermilion and turmeric on their faces. Men who were dressed as demons and goddesses grabbed the attention in the busy streets. They offered Ganga teppa in river Krishna and reached the Kankadurga temple via the ghat road. The women devotees thronged the temple carrying on their head bonam prepared with rice, jaggery and curd seeking the Goddess blessings. Committee president Gajula Anjaiah said they offered bonam in a golden vase. The Committee had been organising this event here for almost a decade to promote peace and prosperity among the Telugu speaking people across the country. Andhra Pradesh government had been making arrangements for the last four years, he said. “We offered prayers to the deity urging her to bless Andhra Pradesh with Special Category Status (SCS). Employment and business opportunities will increase with the SCS,” he said.

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