Brightly painted icons of deities, scenes from mythology and folklore , and dolls adorned with zari dresses light up the ‘kolu’ shops that line the streets of Mylapore. Fashioned of cloth, paper and clay, the icons and toys are not ecologically sensitive and also promote the crafts of Etikopakka, Chennapatna, Kondapalli, and Tamil Nadu.
An array of beautifully crafted Thanjavur dolls, clay figurines of Krishnanagar or ‘antique’ marapachi dolls of Tamil Nadu, is aired out in homes each year.
But if you want your old dolls repaired, head to artist Paramasivan, who sits in his small workplace near Kesava Perumal temple. He repairs and preserves old kolu dolls and statuettes. “From childhood, I loved to piece things together and paint,” he says. “For two years, I worked with Kondairaj Ramalingam of Kovilpatti and studied at his gurukul."
When people bring him the damaged dolls, he first makes a ‘complete’ drawing of the piece and then begins the restoration work.
"I scrape the paint off, repair the damaged portions by hand or add the missing limbs. Then I apply cement primer, after which I give a white coating. Final colours are applied after that.” A 3ft Hanuman doll, parrots and Ganeshas stand in various stages of repair and restoration in his studio.
“All these dolls will look like new soon,” says the artist, as he holds up a two-ft tall, gilded Parvati which he has restored to perfection.
Meanwhile, Kolu shelves in city shops present a dazzling sight. Poompuhar has a compelling collection of icons and jhankis from mythology.
Master artisan M. Jagadeesan has created some outstanding icons and vignettes of ‘Sita Kalyanam’ out of papier-mâché. Also on display is an array of clay figurines and Kondapalli dolls.
The All India Handloom and Handicrafts Kolu has a striking range of papier-mâché, and clay icons crafted by artisans in Kanchipuram. Statuettes of Bhadrachalam Rama and Sita and a standing Lakshmana are sure to find takers.
The exhibition at Sri Sankara Hall has pretty dolls as well as interesting gifts such as Munna’s pretty clay jewellery, small Thanjavur art frames and more.
So, time to go Kolu shopping.
