In Telangana’s Adilabad, Bulls Are Decorated And Offered Prayers On Polala Amavasya

Polala Amavasya is considered to be a sacred day to honour ancestors. It was observed on September 2. As per religious beliefs, it is believed to bring good fortune, spiritual growth and prosperity to devotees.

The festival of Polala Amavasya is a special celebration that is dedicated to the bulls, who symbolise support for farmers for their agriculture. The festival is celebrated on the New Moon (Amavasya) in the month of Shravan and is hence, known as Polala Amavasya. Recently, farmers in Adilabad, Telangana let their bulls rest for a day.

Bulls are an integral part of the farmers’ lives as these animals help with agriculture by enduring sun and rain to plough the fields. Hence, on the Polala Amavasya, the bulls take a break from the farm and are instead decked up beautifully and paraded around the temple. The farmers perform their aarti, offer prayers to the bulls and treat them as Nandi, the sacred bull of Lord Shiva.

One of the highlights of the festival is the decoration of the bulls. Every farmer grooms their bulls, gives them a good bath in the village pond on this day and adorns them with various materials and ornaments. Some farmers even paint the horns of the bulls, while others prefer coloured paper or ornaments. Jingling bells are tied to their feet, nose rings, anklets and handcrafter leather accessories are put on their necks and backs.

The markets buzz with farmers ahead of the festival as they throng over there to buy the decoration items. In an interview with Local18, Ramesh, a farmer from Pardi, Jainad Village in Telangana shared that the decorative items and ornaments are quite expensive, but they don’t mind indulging in this for just one day a year for their loved bulls.

Generally, each farmer’s decoration style is unique. Farmers use a special cloth called ‘joola’ that is put on the bull’s back. These are often embroidered with various vibrant designs of birds, flowers, creepers, deities, elephants and even peacocks as these make for a visual delight. To witness the beautifully decorated bulls, one has to visit Adilabad, during Polala Amavasya.