Re-live your childhood memories

W hether wearing tattered or finery; infants, toddlers or nursery goers look cute in any dress. There were days when stay-at-home mothers honed their creative skills on their children, dressed them up in different ‘avatars’ and went almost delirious with joy looking at their bundles of joy. Making children wear dresses to imitate Sandalwood or Bollywood stars is something; but dressing them up like a little Krishna, Eshwara, Parvati, Radha, Shakuntala, Akkamahadevi, Kittooru Rani Chennamma, Mahakali and even a magician!
Meet Dhanalakshmi, among the many experts who can dress up a child in a jiffy, what with her collection of jewellery, and deft fingers which can add plait to a saree or tie up hair in different styles and even do the most loved ‘moggina jade’ hair decor to kids. ‘Moggina Jade’ in English would literally mean ‘plaited buds’.

This hair style involves plaiting the hair, even adding length to it if necessary and decorating it with a ready piece of cardboard on which the fresh jasmine blooms are fixed in a rather artistic manner.

Last generation or the one before that, ensured there was one picture of their children dressed up with moggina jade, with its reflection seen in the mirror of a studio.
Today, just as many things disappear, this trend too is on the wane.  

“Moggina jade is something people desire for their girl children. Some communities have a tradition of dressing up a first time pregnant lady too, with this hair decor during seemanta ceremony,” says Dhanalakshmi.

While the other dresses/characters cost Rs 150 - 200, Moggina Jade is the costly among the lot.  It costs anywhere between Rs 400 - 500 with saree draping, jewellry and make up, and needs about 1-2 hours to complete. After this, it is time to freeze the traditional memory with the help of latest digicam and frame it forever.

For those who are interested, Dhanalakshmi’s shop ‘Shama Tent and Cloth Co.,’ is located near Jaganmohana Palace.