Enthusiasts see revival of Dasara doll display tradition

In changing times, Dasara dolls play new roles, as stress-relievers and as a medium to communicate customs and values to youngsters.

Vanishree started collecting dolls as a stress-buster and now she boasts a collection of over 2,000 dolls. “I think these days more people are coming back to this tradition of displaying Dasara dolls to get away from the stress of daily life. I already have a Mysore Palace in my collection. This year, I will buy a Jamboo Savari set to go with it,” she said.

Dasra dolls can even be a means to show younger generations the rituals and traditions which are disappearing. “We will buy a set of the marriage ritual in which the boy’s family goes to the girl’s house to see her. This tradition is gradually disappearing. Such meetings take place in cafes, usually without the parents. Some day, we can show these dolls to young children and tell them about old customs,” a customer shopping for dolls in Basavanagudi said.

N H Dasara Dolls in Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi, receives orders for exports too. “We get orders from USA, Australia and other countries throughout the year. They mostly ask for Ramayana and Mahabharata sets. Parents in Bengaluru send dolls to their children so that their grandchildren abroad do not miss out on these stories and traditions,” said owner Nagalakshmi Hanumanthappa.

This year, in her shop, they have steered clear of all plaster of Paris dolls and most of their dolls are made of clay.

Nagalakshmi says that every year, based on the customers' demand, they bring in new sets of dolls. “Customers were bored of the same old Ramayana scenes so this time, we got sets of Mahabharata for the first time. We have sets of Karunana Gurubhakti, Krishna Sandana and Bhimasena Garvabhanga. All these can be used to teach children morals,” said. Doll sets depicting moral stories through cats, rats and other animals are also very popular among customers, she said.

For those who do not want religious idols, the options are exhaustive. Sets of parks, complete with swings, farmers in fields, shoemakers, blacksmiths, people making musical instruments, are all there to choose from. The popular children’s cartoon Chhota Bheem and even Amul girl can be found in some shops.