Dolls’ House

Dolls’ House

‘Anagha , are you free today?’ asked Shanti on the cell.

‘Karuna’s mother keeps Golu on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. I had been there yesterday and knowing you, would surely want you to visit. ’Shanti continued to speak but my mind had already drifted…… Golu, Makar Sankranti, going to a stranger’s house (I didn’t even know who Karuna was) all sounded so very strange. I had seen Golu dolls displayed during Navratri in many Tamilian homes. Nevertheless I agreed as I knew that Shanti would not recommend anything that was not worth it.

Dressed up for the haldi kumkum we reached Balaji Garden. The door bore the wooden hand crafted nameplate of Prabha Rao. The door itself was decorated with lighting, garland and kolum (rice paste rangoli) on the floor. As the door opened, we were greeted by a smiling Prabhaji a seventy year old fine lady. As we entered the drawing room a great sight awaited us.

The tale of Ramayana was depicted through Golu dolls and marked every important scene from Ramayana. Every scene had a short narrative written and displayed along with the dolls. It started with King Dashratha being advised by sage Vasishta to perform the yagna, then the next scene displayed  putra kameshti being performed by the King under the supervision of Rishishringa Muni and the Divine Lord of Fire, Agnidev appeared to give a bowl of payasam  to the King of Ayodhya in order to promulgate his sons . In the next scene the King is shown with his three queens and four baby dolls in a small cradle signifying the birth of Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Then Young Ram and Lakshman going to the forest for annihilation of the demons, Ahilya’s liberation by Rama, Rama breaking the ShivDhanush and Sita swayamwar, Manthara instigating Kaiakeyi, Kaikeyi in the krodhgaar seeking the two boons from Dashrath. The scenes continue with   Ram , Laksman and Sita in exile, cutting the nose of Shurpankha, Marich vadh, Ravan visiting as a  mendicant to kidnap Sita, Jatayu’s struggle, Sita in AshokVan, Ravan’s darbar and Hanuman making a seat from his own tail higher than Ravan’s throne, the battle with Kumbhakarna, Lakshman injured by Indrasena and Hanuman bringing the mountain bearing the sanjivani, Killing of Ravan by Ram, Sita’s agnipariksha , Ram Sita on the throne and Ramrajya with people from almost all walks of life be it artisans farmer, ironsmith, potter,  vegetable vendor,  fruit vendor or the cowherd, a happy family, a housewife grinding floor, temple priest and the like. They are all busily following their professions and  all are happy. So many scenes, each scene having about four to five dolls. Ramrajya scene may be having more than 50 dolls. So it was overall an assembly of about 200 dolls.Prabhaji gives a narrative of each of the scenes that makes the familiar journey through Rammayana, more interesting. 

Prabhaji had made the adorned each and every doll so very meticulously. The nine yard saree, the dhoti, the beard, the agni, hanuman and his long tail twirled into a high stool, the jeweler, Sita in her bridal couture left us all spell bound. Amazed, flabbergasted, wonderstruck – all these words sounded feeble expressions to describe our emotions. As if this was not enough, we learnt that Prabhaji had made all this in just 40 days. She had procured Barbie dolls and then transformed them into various characters - right from changing the golden braid to black and dressing each doll to suit the character that was to be depicted. As Barbie dolls are very light, every doll was housed in a clay lamp with a lump of cement mixed plaster of paris. 

It all started when her granddaughter was about three years old. Golu or Bommala Koluvu in Telugu, (Bommalu means Dolls, Koluvu means Congregation)  is a tradition among Andhraites and they decorate the house with these dolls both during Sankranti and Navrathri. Prabhaji thought of a paradigm shift  by creating Red Riding Hood, Beauty & the beast and Cinderella. The next year was followed by Bhakta Vijayam, Saibaba, Krishna and many such themes. Ramayana was clearly her magnum opus. The same dolls are then

 She said that in traditionally, everyone in the family had a responsibility for the fruition of festive revelries. The day prior to the Makara Sankranti is called the Bhogi festival. On this day, boys are given the task of identifying old furniture, worn-out, useless and dirty things, which are discarded and burnt. Homes are cleaned and white-washed. Even the roads are swept clean and lovely designs are drawn with rice-flour. These practices have their own significance from the point of view of health.

As Pongal or Makar Sankranti heralded harvesting of crop, being an agrarian barter economy all laborers were paid by their landlords in the form of grain, clothes, gifts and money. Sankranti is also the beginning of the month and oblations are offered to the departed ancestors by the elders in the family. Women prepare sweetmeats and special dishes.

By having Golu dolls the young girls of the house automatically learn about the tradition, the rituals and the mythology. Also it is a all women congregation that helps them to mingle with each other – an opportunity to socialize so to say.

Yet Prabhaji with her ingenuous creativity had woven a matchless magic that has to be experienced rather than described. She said she collected every decorative piece  be it ribbons, rachis, greeting card pictures, wrappings and all such waste material. Never seen such an elegant example of ‘best from waste. ’ After the Golu is dissembled, the dolls are carefully stored to be used for the next theme. So the clay lamps are broken to free these dolls as she has to dress them up . She quipped that her dolls play various characters each yesr based on the theme that she selects.

As if this was not enough our taste buds were satiated by masala milk, gulab jamun and chitranna. Finally haldi, kumkum, chandan and thamboolam was served to us all. Truly a memorable evening….

Anagha Hunnurkar

18th  January 2015