Bonalu 2012 was celebrated with pomp and fervor in Mason, Ohio on Sunday, July 22. It was unique in a way because Cincy Telanganites (the organizers) have the distinction of celebrating Bonalu for the very first time in the USA and bringing people here closer to home. Around 100 NRIs with families actively participated in this festival.
Women were colorful in their traditional sarees. They had specially decorated pots with Bonam (holy food to the Goddess/naivedyam) on their heads. There was a procession led by women followed by all devotees making their way towards a well decorated makeshift temple adorned by the Goddess. At the temple, women offered their Bonam to the Goddess seeking her blessings. Later all the devotees offered their prayers seeking health, happiness, peace and prosperity for their families for many years to come.
The organizers made a special mention on the significance of Bonalu citing that it’s celebrated during seasonal changes to ward of diseases by seeking the Goddess blessings and using natural products like neem leaves, turmeric that kill bacteria.
Distinguished guests and elders, Sri Prasad Meegada garu and Sri Narayana Chatla garu wished everybody with bonalu greetings and congratulated the efforts of the group in starting bonalu celebrations for the first time in USA. After all offering their prayers to the Goddess, all devotees had sumptuous lunch that included a variety of mouth watering Telangana delicacies.
At the end, the Organizing Committee of CincyTelanganites – Venu Kaila, Sitaram Boyinepally, Ganesh Kota, Sridhar Palley, Shobhan Ponna, Suresh Devarakonda, Chandra Madichetty, Ramesh Reddy Vemula and Hari Kasula, thanked one and all in making Bonalu 2012 a grand success.