The Festival of Dolls

- October 23, 2020


Illustration: ACK Design Team

Bommai Golu, also known as Bommala Koluvu, Kolu, or Gombe Habba, is a festival of colourful dolls celebrated in the South. During this festival, women in South Indian households bring out their collections of colourful dolls and set them on steps, to celebrate the nine days of Navaratri. Every house follows a different tradition based on the kind of dolls that have been collected over the years. Pride of place is given to the dolls that have been handed down for generations, from mothers to daughters. Depicted here are the popular Chebbiar Bommai dolls, an elderly couple symbolising prosperity, long married life and the wisdom of age.

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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