8 lakh devotees expected for Bonalu

HYDERABAD: Over eight lakh devotees are expected to visit Sri Ujjaini Mahankali temple in Secunderabad to celebrate the Bonalu festival on Sunday.

MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, Governor of Haryana Bandaru Dattatreya and Union Minister Kishan Reddy would also be visiting the temple in the early hours on Sunday.

In this regard, a total of six queue lines, two exclusively for women devotees carrying bonam, two queue lines for women devotees and rest open for general crowd were instated.

City police commissioner CV Anand visited the temple to review the security arrangements on Saturday. He urged the temple officials to take all precautionary measures near the sound systems, decorative lighting threads and illumination points in view of the monsoon season.

He said, "Traffic restrictions were imposed around all the roads through which the temple could be approached and the city police made elaborate security arrangements with 3,500 police personnel working round the clock to ensure month-long exciting and thrilling festivities of Bonalu, a state festival, always remain as wonderful memories." The City police would also issue passes to media reporters, he added.

CP Anand along with Addl.CP(L&O) D S Chouhan and traffic officials visited the queue lines and route maps and had a brief meeting with the organisers to ensure all arrangements were in place for the devotees and commuters to experience a hassle free 'darshan' of the goddess.

CCTVs, security teams and SHE teams were deployed to ensure the women devotees were safe and to keep pickpockets at bay.

Deputy Commissioner of Police North Zone Chandana Deepthi, DCP Traffic, N Prakash Reddy and other officers accompanied the CP during his visit.