బోనాలు లేదా మహంకాళి బోనాలు ఒక హిందూ పండుగ. అందులో దేవత మహంకాళి పూజిస్తారు. బోనాలు ప్రతి సంవత్సరం జూలై లేదా ఆగస్టు నెలలో తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రంలో జరుపుకుంటారు. బొనం అనగా మైసమ్మా, పోచంమ్మా, యెల్లమ్మ, పోలేరాOమ్మా, దుర్గమ్మ వంటి ప్రాంతీయ రూపాల్లో తల్లి దేవతకు భోజనం లేదా విందు అని అర్ధం.

Bonalu or Goddess Mahankali bonalu is a Hindu Festival, Goddess Mahankali is worshipped. Bonalu is an annual festival of Telangana. It is celebrated in the month of Ashada Masam, in July/August. Bonam means a meal or a feast that is offered to Mother Goddess in regional forms like Mysamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Poleramma, Durgamma.

Procedure: How to Prepare or make Bonam?

Bonam is prepared at home (or near temple with your own stove and own cooking pots at your own risk) in brass or steel or earthen pot decorated with neem leaves, turmeric and kumkum. Bonam is nothing but the prasadam offered to Mother Goddess that can be prepared by any one of the following procedures:

Procedure 1:

• Cook rice in brass, steel or earthen pot by adding some turmeric powder.
• Prepare tamarind water (pulusu) in another pot and keep it over rice pot.
• Keep yogurt (perugu) in another pot and keep it over pulusu pot , similarly next is jaggery (Bellam) and Neem Leaves.

Procedure 2:

• Cook rice in brass, steel or earthen pot by adding some milk and Jaggery.

Procedure 3:

• Take plain water in brass, steel or earthen pot and add some turmeric powder (pasupu), then add neem leaves (vepaku).

Women carry the pots on their heads and make offering of Bonam along with Turmeric water.

Important note: After preparing Bonam and performing pooja at home, once the pot is lifted it should not be kept on the ground until offering is made in the temple. So please be prepared accordingly. Dont forget to decorate the pot outside with neem leaves, turmeric and kumkum.

Neem leaves (vepaku) & mango leaves (mamidakulu) will be provided by ARTA committee for everyone who is preparing the bonam.