Kolu dolls arrive to adorn households

After churning out Ganesha idols for Vinayagar Chathurthi, idolmaker S Saravana Kumar has begun sculpting kolu dolls for the upcoming Navaratri festival. With the nine-day celebrations just a few weeks away, he says that kolu dolls have already started selling like hotcakes. “This year, we are making a Mysore Dasara set, which will comprise the Jumbo Savaari, the traditional Mysore procession, in which the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari is placed on a golden mantapam atop an elephant.The set will be a replica of the Mysore Dasara, a major draw among tourists. Dwaraka Krishnan and Raman- Lakshmana duo are the other new varieties. The idols are made of clay and paper mache, but unlike the Ganesha idols, (which are not baked and are coated with natural dyes) the kolu dolls are baked and adorned with enamel paint,” says the sculptor.
No kolu is complete without Ashtalakshmi, Dasavatharam, Sakkarathalvar, Annapoorani, Karthigai women, Sathyanarayana poojai, Dwarakai, Lakshmi Narasimhar and this year is no exception. “Some of these kolu dolls are considered mandatory for the kolu padi. While majority prefer to stick to the tradition, there are many who like to experiment with the latest in the market,” says a member from the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan in the city.
S Kannan, who has been selling kolu dolls at his store in Town Hall, says that the first thing that every customer asks is ‘what’s new this year’? “A majority of the households prefer single bommai (doll) as an addition to their existing collection. The dolls that come in sets usually comprise the ones that narrate a tale.For instance, Girivalam, Farmer set, Geethai Upadesham, Lord Krishna’s story, Mahabharatham etc. Since a majority of the schools have started decking up their campuses with kolu dolls, the variety for children’s dolls are getting unique every year. The dolls are primarily sourced from Kanchipuram and from cottage industries across the state.”
Narendra Bose, manager, Poompuhar, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation, says that the Ramayana set, which was a major draw last year, is in demand this year as well. “The set depicts different scenes from the epic- King Dasharathan looking at Baby Raman; Raavanan killing Jatayu; Raman, Lakshmanan and Seethai living in the forest. The average price of the set goes up to Rs 1 lakh. The other attractions include Panchamritha Perumal, Potter set, Boxing set, Jallikattu, Avvai kani, Bouquets, leaders like the former president of the country, APJ Abdul Kalam. There are special attractions for children like Bablu- Motu and Chota Bheem. Channapatna dolls (wood), Calcutta toys and Kondappalli toys are a major hit. This year, we have introduced special return gifts for guests at home on Navaratri. They are made of terracotta, paper mache and plaster of paris. The price for the kolu collection ranges from Rs 30 and goes above Rs 1 lakh.”