Indian mythology comes alive at Dhaatu's annual Dasara display

This year, for the twenty-first time, non-profit Dhaatu will transport visitors to the mythological times of Mahabharata and Ramayana. The annual exhibition, by puppeteer Anupama Hoskere, on the occasion of Dasara, has more than 5,000 dolls and the collections are growing by the year.

Ranging from half-an-inch to 11-feet, the dolls of Vishnu, Krishna, Durga, Saraswati and other deities are made of material like wood, terracotta and brass with fine detailing. Many of them have been around for several generations.

The main theme this year is ‘Subhadra Parinaya’, the story of how Subhadra, the sister of Balarama and Krishna, elopes with Arjuna. The dolls in this scene are eloquently dressed with jewellery and garlands.

Visitors can see the story of Mahabharata unfold before their eyes, with 70 displays showing scenes like Ganga throwing her baby into the river and Amba, Ambika and Ambalika being carried away by Kuru prince Bhishma.

Life-size Krishna and his queen Rukmini playing dice and a beautiful doll of Satyabhama with gold-adorned braids are among the 26 scenes from the Krishnaleela.

Ramayana, Shivapurana, Dashavatara - nearly all mythological tales, have been exhibited in the grand display. Apart from still dolls, there is a Dashavatara merry-go-round and a motorised Chakravyuha too.

Besides dolls of gods and goddesses, there are also models of Indian villages, representing artisans of different professions. A special working train set to commemorate Disney is a special attraction at the exhibition. The exhibition will be open to public from Saturday to October 23 between 3 pm and 8.30 pm.

Anupama will be treating children of all ages to special storytelling sessions from October 1 to 7, in which different scenes displayed will be narrated. From October 8 to 11, there will be music, dance and puppetry performances.