Festivals

🔱 Bonalu Festival in Chevella Bonalu is one of Telangana’s most powerful and traditional festivals, celebrated with great devotion in Chevella every year. Dedicated to Goddess Mahakali, the festival is a grand expression of gratitude, faith, and protection for the community. In Chevella, the Bonalu celebrations usually take place during the Ashada month (July–August) according to the Hindu calendar. The festival is marked by vibrant processions, traditional music, and the rhythmic beats of dappu drums echoing through the streets. Women play a central role in the celebration — they carry decorated pots (Bonam) on their heads, filled with rice, jaggery, curd, and water, symbolizing offerings to the Goddess. These Bonams are adorned with neem leaves, turmeric, and vermilion, representing purity and devotion. Men accompany the procession, some dressed as Pothurajus — symbolic protectors of the Goddess — dancing with energy and devotion. Temples dedicated to Mahakali, Yellamma, and other local deities become the heart of the celebration, decorated with flowers, lights, and colorful rangolis. The festival concludes with prayers, traditional dances, and community feasts, where people from all walks of life come together to celebrate the strength of womanhood, divine power, and cultural unity. Bonalu in Chevella beautifully reflects the spiritual spirit and cultural pride of Telangana, blending devotion with dazzling local traditions.

🌸 Bathukamma Festival in Chevella Bathukamma, one of Telangana’s most vibrant and cherished festivals, holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Chevella. Celebrated with immense enthusiasm by women, the festival showcases the cultural richness, natural beauty, and unity of the region. In Chevella, the festival begins nine days before Dussehra (Dasara) and continues with daily celebrations where women gather in groups, singing traditional folk songs and dancing around beautifully arranged stacks of flowers known as Bathukammas. These flower stacks are made from locally available seasonal blooms like gunuka, thangedu, chamanti, and marigold, arranged in layers resembling a temple gopuram. The festival is not just about devotion — it’s a symbol of feminine energy, nature’s beauty, and the bond between women and the earth. The flowers used are considered auspicious, representing prosperity and fertility. On the final day, known as Saddula Bathukamma, women immerse their floral arrangements in nearby water bodies like ponds or lakes, accompanied by songs and prayers for the health and happiness of their families. In Chevella, lakes and open fields become vibrant gathering spots, glowing with lamps, music, and colorful attire. The Bathukamma celebration here reflects the true spirit of Telangana’s rural culture, where tradition and togetherness bloom in harmony.