Bonalu fervour grips Secunderabad as lakhs throng Ujjaini Mahankali Temple

Braving the 30°C afternoon heat, lakhs of devotees thronged the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad on Sunday (August 2, 2026) to offer prayers to Goddess Mahankali as part of the annual Bonalu festivities, with queues stretching for nearly a kilometre along roads surrounding the temple.

Devotees began arriving at the temple as early as 5 a.m., with those reaching during the early morning hours managing to complete their darshan relatively quickly. As the crowds swelled after 8 a.m., waiting times increased considerably, leaving many devotees spending hours in queues under the afternoon sun.

Women carrying bonams , earthen pots containing rice cooked with milk and jaggery and accompanied by offerings including curd, sugar and turmeric water, made their way towards the temple to present them to the goddess.