R Bharathan, 50, from Chennai is excited about the new addition to his golu collection — a Bhadrachala Rama doll. Bought from Mylapore, the doll will be the showstopper of his seven-step golu arrangement this year. However, he is apprehensive about celebrations this year, given the ongoing pandemic.
“We need to be cautious. We will limit the number of invitees and keep hand sanitisers at the entrance of our home,” says Bharathan. On the other hand, Priya Raman from Bay Area, California, plans to welcome her visitors and visit others virtually, via Zoom calls.
Celebrated for nine nights and one day, the festival of Navratri is an ode to the many forms of goddess Shakti.
The South Indian Navratri tradition of displaying dolls (bommai golu) arranged on an odd number of steps, includes inviting guests home to sing together, share bowls of piping hot sundal and go golu hopping. This year is different.
Ranjani Venugopal’s Krishna doll | Photo Credit: special arrangement
Virtually dolled-up
In place of large get-togethers, virtual efforts to keep the tradition relevant are gaining pace.
Penmai, the Coimbatore-based online discussion forum for women is organising a virtual golu challenge this year. Ilavarasi Johnson, its founder, explains the rules, “At least three photos must be submitted, with different angles, along with captions before October 30, to the Penmai portal (www.penmai.com/community/). Short videos can also be submitted. A five-membered panel will judge the entries and winners will be awarded golu dolls.”
Sailaja Shivakumar, head of Sriram Samruddhi, an e-commerce platform selling eco-friendly dolls from Hyderabad is also inviting participants to make short videos of their arrangements (sriramsamruddhi@gmail.com). She insists on village-themed golus arranged using eco-friendly dolls, in which few of the dolls must be Sriram Samruddhi’s. She justifies, “This is to support our artisans who have been working hard despite the pandemic.”
For many, golu hopping is a show of solidarity between families. S Kamala, a 60-year-old homemaker from Chennai, explains the significance of giving thamboolam — an assortment of betel leaves and areca nuts presented with any fruit, sweet or other gifts — during golu visits.
- Vidya Madhavan sells quilling and polymer clay dolls on Etsy store in the range of ₹1000 to 15000 rupees. She makes real-life contemporary themed miniatures like street-vendors. You can find her @maayacrafts on Instagram.
- Lakshmi Palanissamy sells quilling dolls through social media (lakshmiquillingworld) in the range ₹400 to ₹3000 rupees. Yoga dolls are the most sought-after.
- Ranjini Venugopal under her Instagram handle, @deepashreearts sells wooden dolls that depict gods and other miscellaneous figurines that can be used as both golu dolls and gift articles. Her dolls range between ₹1000 and ₹3500.
“Till date, South Indian marriages are finalised with the exchange of thamboolam between the families of the bride and the groom. During Navratri, however, it is given to kith and kin who arrive to see the golu, to establish togetherness,” she says.
Gifts too have been updated for 2020. Kamala, for instance, plans to gift people handmade embroidered masks to create awareness.
Lakshmi Palanissamy’s yoga posture series | Photo Credit: special arrangement
In Bengaluru, Manjula Prasad is skipping the traditonal Gombe Habba. The 48-year-old teacher shares the legend behind the sister festival: “To help goddess Durga kill the demon Mahishasura, all the gods and other living and non-living beings share their energies and powers with her, and in turn become statues. To commemorate their sacrifice, Gombe Habba is celebrated and the statues are displayed and worshipped for nine days.”
This year, she will be sending sweets to family and friends all through the nine days, which she believes is the safest way to celebrate.
On the lookout
With international travel being restricted, Priya who usually stocks up on dolls during her visit to India, found herself surfing Etsy this year to add to her collection. She buys at least one to five dolls every year. E-commerce sales for dolls are seeing a rise in 2020, especially internationally.
Artisans who do not have access to e-commerce are facing some hurdles. J Muthukumar, of Coimbatore who makes miniature structures of temples using foam board, says, “I made a profit of ₹1.5 lakhs last year. This year I am expecting only ₹1 lakh.” He, along with his wife, is currently selling his temple structures in Poompuhar, Coimbatore in the range of ₹400 to ₹15,000. Self-employed quilling doll-maker Lakshmi Palanissamy from Chengalpattu also says that sales came in late this year, starting only from August. Yet she is hopeful: “With every version of unlock, I am getting more orders. I am expecting sales for around ₹20 to 30K”
Vidya Madhavan’s palmyra root seller doll | Photo Credit: special arrangement
On the upside, this lockdown has also given people the time and energy to make their own dolls. Ranjini Venugopal, from Pennsylvania, has begun to sell them as well. “Doll making for me is more of a hobby turned into a small business,” says Ranjini. She buys precut wooden pieces and assembles them to create the final product.
“They have to be primed and smoothed. After which I draw, paint and outline them. After gluing together the various parts, I give a final coat of gloss varnish for a finished product,” she says. “Each year is unique and has its own memories attached to it. These days, I like to involve my daughters in the setting up of the golu and enjoy their imagination.”