Mangalore: Unique 'Dasara Dolls Exhibition' on at Raghavendra Swami Mutt

Pics: Sphoorty Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, Sep 25: Displaying their rich collection of dolls during Navaratri festival, and inviting friends and relatives to visit their houses to have a look at their dolls, and even allowing strangers interested in dolls to visit their homes, is a favourite pastime of many families living in Bangalore, Mysore and several adjoining regions. These families tastefully put together various dolls they have bought, gifted to them or made by interested members of the families, on the occasion of Navaratri (Dasara) and sometimes, even during Sankranti festival, in an orderly fashion. This rich tradition, has however, not got a firm footage in the coast, although there are families that hold such displays.

An ongoing exhibition of dolls at Sri Raghavendra Swami Mutt in the city has been attracting considerable number of visitors. Dolls made of glass, terracotta, cloth, marble powder and clothes have been displayed at this impressive display. The procession of chariots and happy faces of the dolls exhibited give a soothing feeling to the visitors, as the dolls radiate charm, energy and happiness.

Channapatna near Bangalore is known to make dolls and toys from wood. Thanjavur and Chidambaram in Tamilnadu too have huge doll-making industries that make dolls out of several raw materials, even though mostly, the doll-making has remained a cottage industry at most of the places.