Overview
- The two‑day Bonalu celebrations drew thousands of devotees to major Mahankali temples in Hyderabad’s Old City, with large queues and neighbourhood processions reported on Sunday.
- Police put robust measures in place, deploying about 2,400 personnel in shifts, setting up a dedicated control room and using drones and AI‑enabled cameras for continuous surveillance.
- Officials reported no major incidents by the morning after the first day, and processions were proceeding toward Nayapool on the Musi river for the planned ghatam immersion on Monday.
- Traffic and civic controls remain in force across the Old City, including road closures, designated parking and RTC bus termination points, and temporary closure of liquor outlets to ease crowd movement.
- The Lal Darwaza observance retains deep local meaning — linked by historians to the 1908 Musi floods and a Nizam‑era ritual — and the measures aim to protect devotees while allowing traditional offerings and VIP visits to continue.