Dasara brings dolls back

South Indian homes celebrate the festival of Navaratri with a doll display. Bombe Habba (Kannada), Golu (Tamil) and Bommala Koluvu (Telugu) are names given to the charming custom. “The Gods come alive every year during Dasara in all colours and shapes,” says Hema Mahesh, an entrepreneur who loves arranging dolls in her home.
In cosmopolitan Bengaluru, many communities celebrate the festival with variations on the doll theme.

Traditional dolls are usually made of clay, and painted in gold and glossy colours; there are also wooden and eco-friendly dolls. The dolls that enter the markets are made by artisans from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The dolls are made based on Hindu mythological characters and feature royal and characters draped in traditional attire.

Navaratri began on Wednesday. This is the time for the annual ‘bombe’ (doll) display. Metrolife brings you a list of shops selling traditional Dasara dolls. Go forth and pick up your favourites.

N L Dasara dolls

If you’re planning to put up a Dasara doll display for the first time and don’t know where to start, we suggest you check out N L Dasara dolls. You might end up buying quite a few dolls from their colourful spread. From Mahabharatha to modern paper dolls, N L Dasara dolls hoses all kinds of doll sets.
Price range: Starting from Rs 300.
Where: 174/20, Lucky Paradise, 8th F Main Road, 3rd Block, Jayanagar.

Kamala Dolls

Kamala Dolls is one of the popular dollhouse centres in Bengaluru. Among other dolls, their ‘Negro music set’ and ‘12 Alwars set’ are the most opted ones. The shop stands out with their unique paper doll sets.

Price range: Starting from Rs 250.
Where: 8th Cross, Temple Road, Malleswaram.

N H Dasara Dolls

If you are looking for eco-friendly dolls, head to N H Dasara dolls. Their paper dolls are preferred by people from different countries. Mahabharata, Dwaparayuga and Ramayana are the most preferred themes. Their famous ‘Astalakshmi doll set’ is priced at Rs 33,000.

Price range: Starting from Rs 75
Where: Basement, B N S lodge and party hall, Basavanagudi.

Nagalakshmi’s shop

All the dolls here are from Kolkata and Channpatna. “Bengalureans are inclined towards the painted and coloured dolls than the wooden and eco-friendly dolls”, says Nagalakshmi, the owner.

Price range: Starting from Rs 100
Where: Gandhi Bazaar main road.