Heritage · Faith · Tradition
About the Temple
Introduction
The Sri Simhavahini Mahankali Temple at Lal Darwaza, in the Old City of Hyderabad about 1.5 km south of Charminar, is the heart of the Old City's Bonalu festival. The Goddess is worshipped here as Simhavahini – Mahankali who rides the lion. Every year, during the month of Ashada, the lanes around the temple fill with women carrying bonam pots, Pothuraju dancers and colourful processions, in what is often described as the biggest cultural festival of Telangana.
History – the Flood and the Pearls
The area takes its name from a red gate (lal darwaza) of the Nizam's era. The temple grew in importance in the early 20th century, when the Sixth Nizam, Mir Mahbub Ali Khan, gave land and donations to this and many other temples of the city, and local devotees led by Venkataswamy Mudiraj organised its development.
In 1908, the Great Musi Flood devastated Hyderabad and claimed thousands of lives. According to the temple's tradition, the Nizam's Prime Minister, Maharaja Sir Kishen Pershad, advised that a bonam be offered to Goddess Mahankali at Lal Darwaza. The Nizam had the bonam offered together with natural pearls in a silver chata (winnowing tray), and the pearls were later immersed in the Musi. When the waters receded, the offering became an annual tradition – the beginning of the Lal Darwaza Bonalu, which has now been celebrated for more than a century. Temple elders also link this pearl offering to the growth of the pearl trade around Charminar.
In earlier times, animal offerings were part of the festival; in the 1950s this practice was given up at the temple, and pumpkins are offered in its place.
Lal Darwaza Bonalu
- When: the Old City Bonalu is held towards the end of the Ashada Bonalu season, after the Golconda and Secunderabad celebrations (usually July–August).
- Bonam offerings: women carry pots of cooked rice with jaggery and curd, decorated with neem leaves, turmeric and a lamp, as an offering of thanks to the Mother.
- Rangam: on the day after Bonalu, a woman devotee in trance delivers the Goddess's prophecy (bhavishyavani) for the coming year at several Old City temples.
- Ghatam procession: the festival ends with processions of the Goddess's ghatam (sacred pot) from the Old City temples, which pass Lal Darwaza and Charminar on their way to the Musi, with Pothuraju dancers, folk artists and, often, a caparisoned elephant.
- Government silk robes: the Telangana government presents silk robes (pattu vastralu) to the Goddess for Bonalu.
Other Festivals
- Dasara / Devi Navaratri – nine nights of special alankarams and pujas for the Goddess (usually September–October).
- Weekly: Sundays and Tuesdays are the busiest days at the temple.
Visitor Information
- Timings: official timings are not published; the temple is usually open in the morning and evening, and for much longer hours during Bonalu. Please check locally before visiting.
- Bonalu crowds: on Bonalu Sunday and the Ghatam procession day, roads around Lal Darwaza and Charminar are closed to traffic and heavily crowded – plan to walk the last stretch.
- Etiquette: traditional dress is recommended; remove footwear before entering.
How to Reach
- By Road: Lal Darwaza is about 1.5 km south of Charminar; city buses run to Charminar and Lal Darwaza, and the MGBS bus station is about 5 km away.
- By Train: Hyderabad (Nampally) and Kacheguda railway stations are each about 7 km away.
- By Air: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad (HYD), is about 18 km away by road.
Other Goddess Temples in Hyderabad
The other great centres of Hyderabad's Bonalu are Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple, Secunderabad, Balkampet Yellamma Temple and the nearby Sri Mahankali Temple, Gowliguda (about 4.5 km). Devotees also visit Sri Peddamma Talli Temple, Jubilee Hills.