TN: Colourful 'Kolu' dolls deck up for Navratri celebrations

With the festival of Dussehra just around the corner, the 'Kolu' dolls make their way to the markets as the nine-day-long festivities (Navratri) are set to begin.

It is the innate nature of our country to have a different manner of celebrations for a single festival. One such festival is this nine-day long period where the people celebrate the legend of Goddess Durga.

Speaking to ANI, Sumathi, a 'kolu' doll artisan, said: "Though it is our traditional business, it takes a lot to make these dolls. A lot of labour and raw material go into it. We feel very happy when the people visit us and appreciate the hard work we put into its making."

"This year, we have miniatures of late DMK leader Karunanidhi, Jayalalitha, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Swamy Vivekananda, and many other famous personalities," she added.

As per the southern Indian legends, the Navratri celebrations are incomplete without the 'Kolu' dolls. These dolls decorated with numerous colours depict the age-old tradition of celebrating the festival by displaying an event from the mythological stories.

Ranging over a variety of themes, the dolls are displayed with an increased cost as the paint used on them got costlier.

Bama Balasubramaniam, a visitor, said: "We celebrate 'Navratri' by displaying these dolls and I would like to invite people from every section of the society to visit our house."

"People visit the stalls and purchase these dolls without any barrier of caste, creed or religion. The whole region celebrates the nine day-long festivities in this manner," he added.