Hyderabad Police Deploy AI-Powered Crowd Management System for Bonalu Festival

The Hyderabad City Police deployed an AI-powered crowd management and surveillance system for the first time during the annual Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu festival on August 2, 2026. Integrated with Facial Recognition Technology, the system monitors crowd density and tracks offenders in real time. Over 2,500 police personnel were stationed to manage the thousands of devotees, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who gathered to offer traditional Bonam pots to Goddess Mahankali.

Ujjaini Mahakali Bonalu festival

• ▪The annual Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Bonalu festival commenced at the historic Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad on August 2, 2026
• ▪Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar offered prayers at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple on August 2, 2026

Traditional Bonam offerings

• ▪The Endowments Department created separate queues for general devotees and women carrying bonam offerings to manage the rush at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple
• ▪Women devotees carried decorated earthen or brass pots containing rice cooked with milk and jaggery to offer to Goddess Mahankali as part of the traditional Bonam ritual

Government security deployment

• ▪The Hyderabad City Police deployed additional SHE Teams to prevent the harassment of women during the Bonalu celebrations
• ▪The Hyderabad City Police deployed more than 2,500 police personnel for bandobast duties at the Sri Ujjaini Mahankali Temple in Secunderabad

Crowd management arrangements

• ▪The AI-powered system integrates CCTV cameras to identify habitual offenders, chain-snatchers, and pickpockets, and uses threshold mapping to generate alerts when crowd density exceeds safe limits
• ▪The Hyderabad City Police introduced an Artificial Intelligence-based crowd management and surveillance system integrated with Facial Recognition Technology for the first time

Potharaju dance performances

• ▪The Bonalu festival features vibrant cultural displays, including the energetic Potharaju dance, reflecting the rich heritage of Telangana

Telangana cultural heritage

• ▪The week-long Old City Bonalu celebrations are scheduled to begin at the Simhavahini Mahankali Temple in Lal Darwaza, culminating in a grand procession on August 11, 2026
• ▪The annual Bonalu festival, also known as Ashadam Jatara, is a month-long folk festival celebrated across Telangana dedicated to Goddess Mahakali