From traditional dance styles to momo stalls, Bengaluru doll shops add new collections

From a set of dolls depicting eight traditional dance styles of India to momo stalls, dasara doll shops in Bengaluru are selling unique and wide variety of doll collections, this year.

As the celebrations of the State festival dasara has begun, many people have started decorating their houses with colourful dolls representing the stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu, Girija Kalyana, Krishna Leela set of 12 scenes and there are deities like Hayagriva, Ardhanareshwar, Andal or Meenakshi and more in this collection.

A variety of Dasara dolls on display at Malleswaram in Bengaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.

When The Hindu visited some of these doll stores in Malleswaram, owners said that they have added some new collections to the existing ones - the momo stall, sapadu or dining set dolls, various dance styles of India, dolls with various poses of Yakshagana and more.

Mahith, co-founder of Gubbi Mane in Malleswaram, said, "We have added dance forms of India to the existing collection of dolls. These dance forms are made of clay or terracotta, and it is the bestseller this year. This set includes all the eight forms of dance styles in India - Kathak, Kuchipudi, Bharatnatyam, Kathakali, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya. This is priced at ₹13,000."

He added, "The other new addition is the rare Brahmotsava doll set, made of terracotta, costing ₹11,000. We have also taken a few orders to make dolls out of wood but they are expensive. Some people would like to keep one set of doll made of wood than keep many sets during Dasara. For example: Rama, Sita and Lakshmana set is priced at ₹1,20,000."

Meanwhile, Kishore Gowda, who specialises in making Channapatna dolls, has his shop in Rajajinagar. "The highest order that I received from customers is Dasara procession of elephant carrying goddess Chamundeshwari. People like this set of dolls because of the intricate designs. The replica looks exactly like the original goddess, elephants and soldiers walking ahead of these elephants. It is priced at ₹4,000 per set."

Book guide

Vishnu, owner of Dasara Bombe Mane located in Basavanagudi, has prepared a book that explains steps to place dolls at home and their importance.

"The book has pictures of all the dolls, their importance and which doll has to be placed first especially at home. It is helpful for those who are celebrating gombe habba at home for the first time. I give it for free to those customers who buy dolls at my shop," he said.

Mr. Vishnu also added that the most sought after collection among dolls is a set of nine goddess of navaratri in Mysuru style. "There are three styles available in our shop including Kolkata style, Mysuru style and Tamil Nadu style goddess. There is a slight difference in the colour, saree styles and features of devi. In Kolkata style, the eyes are big where as in Mysuru and Tamil Nadu style, eyes are medium-sized. Mysore tonga is another addition to the collection of dolls," he said.