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.

From the early hours of the morning, devotees lined the roads leading to the temple, with the crowds extending as far as Sarojini Devi Road.

“We arrived at 6 a.m. and completed our darshan within an hour. The crowd now looks much bigger than it was when we arrived,” said Deepa, who had travelled from LB Nagar with her two children.

Amid the steady movement of devotees, the rhythmic beating of traditional drums and performances by Potharajus added to the festive atmosphere. Bare-chested and smeared with turmeric and vermillion, the Potharajus danced energetically through the streets as devotees gathered around to watch and record the performances on their mobile phones.

Separate queues were arranged for women devotees, while barricades were installed along the routes leading to the temple to regulate the heavy footfall. Police personnel and volunteers were deployed at several points to manage the crowds and keep the queues moving.

For several families, visiting the Ujjaini Mahankali Temple during Bonalu has become an annual tradition. “Celebrating Bonalu without seeking the blessings of the goddess at this temple feels incomplete for our family. We have been coming here since 2021. It is hot today, but we are lucky that it is not raining, unlike during the last week,” said K. Rekha, who had come from Uppal.

As one stream of devotees continued to wait for their turn for darshan, another emerged from the temple after offering prayers. Many stopped outside to click selfies and take family photographs, capturing moments from their annual Bonalu visit before making their way through the crowded streets of Secunderabad.