and goat. Animals killed for community meals are not considered sacrifices. There are no scriptural books that prescribe the peasant-tradition, that the Mother Goddess demands meat as an offering. The tradition of this peasant festival is similar to the Islamic Bakrid tradition, where a goat is slaughtered and consumed. Western and Brahmin literature confuses animals consumed in festival time for communal meals in peasant tradition with the sacrifices of Rig Vedic Brahmins, where animals were killed by fire priests, not for consumption but for ritual reasons. However, with the advent of modernization and government control over peasant traditions, people have been restricted to only use pumpkins, bottle gourds, coconuts and lemons. The festive environment is quite palpable in the locality celebrating the festival, with loud-speakers playing folk songs and such other songs in respect of the Mother Goddess, and the streets decorated with neem leaves. Rangam Rangam (or Performing the Oracle), is held the next morning of the festival. A woman standing atop of an earthen pot invokes Goddess Mahakali onto her and performs the custom. She foretells the year ahead for the devotees asking about the future. This takes place before the procession is started. The present oracle at Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Devasthanam and other major temples of Secunderabad is Kumari Erupula Swarnalatha, who is currently the 6th generation oracle. Previous oracles include Kumari's elder sister Kum, Swaroopa before her, her grandmother Bagamma and other ancestors including Jogamma and Poshamma. Ghatam Ghatam is a copper pot, decorated in the form of the Mother Goddess. The Ghatam is carried by a priest, who wears a traditional Dhoti, and whose body is smeared with turmeric. The Ghatam is taken into procession from the first day of the festival until the last day when it is immersed in water. The Ghatam is usually accompanied by beating of drums. The festival concludes with immersion of the Ghatam. The Ghatam of Haribowli's Akkanna Madanna Temple leads the procession, placed atop an elephant and accompanied by mounted horses and models depicting Akkanna and Madanna. It ends in the evening with a glittering procession and display of much pomp and show followed by immersion of Ghatams at Nayapul. The festival has a carnival-like atmosphere, where thousands of people wait along the main streets of Laldarwaza to Nayapul and watch the exquisitely and elaborately decorated Ghatams. Young men dance in a unique style to the drum beats