Celebrating creativity

Time was when Navaratri was celebrated with pomp and vigour. The entire family used to be involved in setting the steps and arranging the dolls. Today lack of enough living space has scaled down kolu to little showcases, or maybe three steps, or the windowsill. The busy daily schedule also makes it difficult to store and maintain the dolls all through the year for the festival.

The dolls, either made of mud or wood are not merely decorative pieces but works of art. Especially the Tanjore dolls, beautifully carved, painted and embellished with jewellery were truly artistic. So also were the marapachi dolls, made of reddish wood, finely carved and available in various sizes. The wooden dolls are usually draped in colourful attires to be kept in the kolu.

Renuka Chakrarajan makes tiny clothes for the kolu dolls, decks them up in miniature jewellery and draws intricate kolams, creatively ornamented with sago, resembling tiny beads. Her collection of dolls are two generations old — Krishna with Rukmini, Hanuman, Garuda etc are stunning. Even the marapachi sets have been handed down generations. Her collection also includes a set of 24-carat gold-coated dolls.

More than a religious festival, Navaratri has always be an expression of creativity.

RUPA GOPAL

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