<p>With Navaratri just days away, homes across Bengaluru are coming alive with colourful and creative bombe displays. </p><p>While some people are keeping it simple with their traditional pattadbombe (wooden couple dolls), others are turning to innovative themes. </p><p>Pruthvi Prabhu, a doll collector from Thygarajanagar, is following the theme of Kannada’s popular sitcoms ‘Silli Lalli’, and ‘Paapa Pandu’. “We have recreated 11 characters from ‘Silli Lalli’ and six characters from ‘Paapa Pandu’ and placed them in popular scenarios of the shows. They are all handmade,” Pruthvi says. Dolls of popular actresses, including one of the late B Saroja Devi, are also part of the display. </p>.<p>Jakkur-based Subha Murugan’s display is based on the number five. The display includes the panchaboothas <br>or elements of nature: earth, air, water, fire and space. Five landscapes, five pandavas, and other objects related to the number are also included. </p>.Dhaatu’s Dasara festival to showcase epic-themed dolls from Indian scriptures.<p>Subha says, “We started the preparations after Ganesha Chaturthi. And we are still working on it as I have around 500 dolls. Most of my dolls are sourced from Chennai, Madurai and Malleswaram.”</p>.<p>Mythology is one of the common themes of Dasara but at Dr Veena Ravi’s house in Basavanagudi, mythology meets science. The display at ‘bombe mane’, as it is referred to by locals, has about 8,000 dolls.</p>.<p>Dr Veena has combined science and ‘Vishnu Purana’. The display explains popular scientific theories, such as the big bang theory, with mythological references. </p>.<p>“We also have depictions of mythological episodes like ‘Krishna Manthana’. Totally, we have set up about 70 stages. They feature the Bhakta Prahlad story, Krishna’s complete life story, and Kaliyuga. It took us two months to source and put them together,” says Dr Veena. </p>.<p>Mother-daughter duo, Manjula and Jayagowri, have restored old dolls to add to their theme of women power. </p>.<p>“My daughter restored the old dolls and I have arranged a display of ashtalakshmis. We also have 7-8 pairs of pattadbombe, which are more than 150 years old,” says Manjula, who lives in Gavipuram. </p>
<p>With Navaratri just days away, homes across Bengaluru are coming alive with colourful and creative bombe displays. </p><p>While some people are keeping it simple with their traditional pattadbombe (wooden couple dolls), others are turning to innovative themes. </p><p>Pruthvi Prabhu, a doll collector from Thygarajanagar, is following the theme of Kannada’s popular sitcoms ‘Silli Lalli’, and ‘Paapa Pandu’. “We have recreated 11 characters from ‘Silli Lalli’ and six characters from ‘Paapa Pandu’ and placed them in popular scenarios of the shows. They are all handmade,” Pruthvi says. Dolls of popular actresses, including one of the late B Saroja Devi, are also part of the display. </p>.<p>Jakkur-based Subha Murugan’s display is based on the number five. The display includes the panchaboothas <br>or elements of nature: earth, air, water, fire and space. Five landscapes, five pandavas, and other objects related to the number are also included. </p>.Dhaatu’s Dasara festival to showcase epic-themed dolls from Indian scriptures.<p>Subha says, “We started the preparations after Ganesha Chaturthi. And we are still working on it as I have around 500 dolls. Most of my dolls are sourced from Chennai, Madurai and Malleswaram.”</p>.<p>Mythology is one of the common themes of Dasara but at Dr Veena Ravi’s house in Basavanagudi, mythology meets science. The display at ‘bombe mane’, as it is referred to by locals, has about 8,000 dolls.</p>.<p>Dr Veena has combined science and ‘Vishnu Purana’. The display explains popular scientific theories, such as the big bang theory, with mythological references. </p>.<p>“We also have depictions of mythological episodes like ‘Krishna Manthana’. Totally, we have set up about 70 stages. They feature the Bhakta Prahlad story, Krishna’s complete life story, and Kaliyuga. It took us two months to source and put them together,” says Dr Veena. </p>.<p>Mother-daughter duo, Manjula and Jayagowri, have restored old dolls to add to their theme of women power. </p>.<p>“My daughter restored the old dolls and I have arranged a display of ashtalakshmis. We also have 7-8 pairs of pattadbombe, which are more than 150 years old,” says Manjula, who lives in Gavipuram. </p>