STEPS of Wonder

They deck your halls, they are bright and colourful and they make an annual appearance. September and October is the season for kolu dolls to come out from hiding. Tucked away the rest of the year, these kolu bommais (dolls) representing a divine presence, are the handiwork of toy-makers from across India. This interesting and unique tradition is called Bombe Habba or Golu in Kannada, Bommala Koluvu in Telugu or simply Dussehra dolls.Expressions of joyThese dolls are arranged on steps which can number as many as 9 or as few as 3, but always an odd number. In addition to the wide assortment of deities, anything ornamental and colourful can be a part of the kolu. The kolu bommais can be depictions from Puranas, everyday life, a royal procession, ratha yatra, weddings, miniature kitchen utensils or little play things. Most of the wooden toys are made by the traditional toy-makers in Etikoppaka, Kondapalli, Kinnal and Channapatna. The clay and mud dolls are made in Tamil Nadu and the work begins early in the year so that it can be ready for the festive season. Each year these dolls are displayed for nine days, and on Vijayadashmi (tenth day), one doll is symbolically put to sleep to mark the end of that year's Navaratri kolu. The next morning, all the dolls are packed up.Farmer's delightDid you know that kolu has a significant connection with agriculture? Before the planting season begins, farmers clear their fields with a dredge, removing mud, weeds, and rubbish. Irrigation canals and riverbeds are also desilted. The mud and clay that is removed is used to make the bommais. Studies have found that the kolu tradition has been in existence since the reign of the Vijayanagar kings. In a Marathi record found in the Saraswathi Mahal Library at Thanjavur, there is mention that the dolls displayed represented people belonging to 18 different castes. The kolu tradition was popular among the royal families of Thanjavur and Pudukkottai.Must-have'sMarappacchi: The first to adorn the steps must be a couple of wooden dolls, male and female. They represent a king and queen. They can be made of red sandalwood, silk-cotton-wood or red wood.Thanjavur dolls: There are traditional bobble-head toys made of terracotta or paper and clay and plaster of Paris. The popular varieties are the dancing dolls and the chettiar bommais. Krishna Lila: A set of Lord Krishna's antics from lifting the govardhan to dancing on the head of a snake to playing with the gopikaas and stealing butter. Ashtalakshmi set: This is another must-have. A set of eight idols depicting the manifestations of the goddess Lakshmi.