Context: Recently, The Telangana government has decided to cancel this year’s Bonalu festival, one of the biggest traditional folk festivals in the state, due to the persistent threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

About Bonalu Festival

• It is a Dravidian traditional Hindu Festival where Goddess Mahakali is worshiped.
• It is an annual festival celebrated in the twin Cities Hyderabad and Secunderabad and other parts of Telangana.
• Bonam literally means Meal in Telugu, which is an offering to the Mother Goddess.
• It started in 1813 in the region of Hyderabad & Secunderabad when plague disease had broken out in Twin Cities.