Gandhari Maisamma Bonalu festival celebrated in Mancherial

The annual Gandhari Maisamma Bonalu festival was celebrated at Gandhari Maisamma temple on a colourful note Bokkalagutta village in Mandamarri mandal on Sunday.

Mancherial: The annual Gandhari Maisamma Bonalu festival was celebrated at Gandhari Maisamma temple on a colourful note Bokkalagutta village in Mandamarri mandal on Sunday.

Facing incessant drizzle, devotees visited the shrine and performed special prayers by forming serpentine queue lines from early morning to evening. They belonged to Mancherial, Ramakrishnapur and Mandamarri towns and surrounding villages. They made a beeline to the holy place, using different means of transportation.

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Break coconuts, sacrificed chickens

While a major portion of the devotees broke coconuts, some others sacrificed chickens and goats as a token of gratitude for their wellbeing and fulfilling their desires. Women carried Bonam or sacred food cooked using rice and jaggery on their heads and offered it to goddess Maisamma. The devotees dined under the trees by erecting make-shift tents in the surroundings of the shrine.

Chennur MLA Dr G Vivek visited the temple and performed prayers. He said that steps would be taken to convert the ancient Gandhari fort into an eco-tourist centre soon. He expressed happiness to have presented Bonam to the deity after winning from Chennur. He exuded confidence that the government would implement six guarantees assured by the Congress.

Traffic came to a standstill for a while due to parking of vehicles by devotees on the NH 363 abutting to the shrine. However, police swung into action and ensured free movement of vehicles.

Around 100 policemen were deployed to control traffic and prevent untoward incidents and manage the crowds. Deputy Commissioner of Police A Bhaskar, Bellampalli ACP Ravi Kumar supervised the security arrangements.