Archive · 21 Jun 2025
Hyderabad Artisans Busy Crafting Thottelu for Bonalu
The Bonalu festival is coming up, and that means it's time for colorful decorations called 'thottelu'!
These are like mini-swings made of bamboo, flowers, and leaves that people offer to the goddess.
Artisans, especially those from the Medara community, are working hard to make these for the celebrations.
You can find them in different sizes, from small ones to giant ones, and they are a big part of the Bonalu festivities in Hyderabad.
Artisans are busy making 'thottelu' for the upcoming Ashada Bonalu festivities in Hyderabad.
Thottelu are decorative bamboo structures offered by devotees to Goddess Mahankali during the festival.
These structures come in various sizes, with some reaching up to 30 feet high.
Making 'thottela' is an ancestral practice passed down within the Medara community.
Demand for thottelas surges for Hyderabad Bonalu compared to other areas like Golconda and Secunderabad.
- Who
- Artisans from the Medara community and devotees celebrating Bonalu.
- What
- Artisans are making 'thottelu', decorative structures for the Bonalu festival.
- When
- As the Ashada Bonalu festivities draw closer.
- Where
- Hyderabad, specifically in areas like Charminar, Mehdipatnam, Jiyaguda, Dhoolpet, Lal Darwaza and Begum Bazaar.
- Why
- To meet the demand for the 'thottelu', integral part of the Bonalu festivities.
Customers
Artisans
Customization vs. Standard
Customers
Customers can request thottelas with customizations, like Bonam, peacocks, or goddess photos.
Artisans
Artisans create standard thottelas without customization.
- Festival
- Ashada Bonalu
- Main item
- Thottelu (decorative bamboo structures)
- Locations
- Charminar, Mehdipatnam, Jiyaguda, Dhoolpet, Lal Darwaza, Begum Bazaar
- Thottela Height
- 2 feet to 30 feet
- Thottela Cost
- `250 to `30,000
- Artisan Community
- Medara