Kolu Dolls
The Durga Puja during the Dussehra Festival is celebrated in different ways in India. In the States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, this traditional festival is known as Bommai Kolu.
During this annual festival, a family will put up bommai kolu (dolls) on a set of steps in a tiered form, the tiers being of an odd number (5, 7 or 9). These bommai kolu include miniature dolls of Gods and Goddesses, perhaps of Indian spiritual icons and freedom fighters, as well as miniature idols of animals and other aspects depicting village life. The main deities depicted are Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Lakshmi. The dolls displayed include wooden dolls too. On the very first tier is placed a silver or brass pot filled with water. This pot is known as 'kalasam'. It is believed that the dolls remain awake 24x7 during the entire nine days of the navratri festival. Once the festival is over, the dolls are packed away in boxes in a horizontal position, indicating that they have gone to sleep.
The tiers of kolu dolls is a beautiful sight to behold, as can be seen in the photos of bommai kolu below.
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| Note the elaborate rangoli designs on the floor |
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