Dolls that sculpted culture

The enchanting Kolu or Golu tradition is a spectacular sight indeed in this Navaratri, the Festival of Nine Nights.
Representative image
Representative image
Updated on
2 min read

CHENNAI: The word art instantly brings forth visions of art classes with a box of paints (round, hard cakes mostly), from which colours ooze when prodded by a water dipped brush to create sunrises and lakeside cottage views. Or sometimes, it reminds one of museums that find their way to any must-see list for tourists, eager to proclaim their worldly cultural awareness and appreciation with perfectly worded Instagrammable photographs. We chase these defined notions of what art is, without realising that art is all around us. It permeates our lives in subtle ways. It finds its way to the smaller details of our existence — our food, clothing, and our traditions.

Today marks the beginning of Navaratri, the Festival of Nine Nights. For most of us, as children, it simply translated into a week of holidays and a much needed respite from homework. Adulthood transformed this to a festival of seeking blessings for our work and our academic pursuits. And how can art not seep into the festivities? It certainly did, in the form of brightly painted sculptures displayed on a tiered platform in households.

The enchanting Kolu or Golu tradition is a spectacular sight indeed. Meticulously arranged dolls on wooden stands tell tales from our Indian culture, adorned with flowers and rangoli patterns on the floor, while invited guests pay their visits.

These showcased figurines have their origins in the royal courts of south India. Opulent doll collections declared the wealth and power of kings and queens. The exhibit was well curated and served as extravagant reminders of their stature. The artisans who made these dolls were highly skilled and perfectly capable of executing the responsibility entrusted. By the end of the 19th century, the tradition of Kolu slowly transcended palace walls and spread among larger society, thus stripping itself of the grandeur associated with royal ambitions. However, for a long time after, the practice was still linked to the upper class and the affluent. Once detached from its connections with monarchy, the tradition took on a religious context.

Made of a very fine powder of wood dust mixed with tamarind seed paste in the 19th century, these dolls were painted by artisans who sold them to their affluent patrons.

Although sculptures of a religious nature dominated the display, there were also playful ones as well as scenes from everyday life. In the 20th century, artisans started experimenting even further, giving in to popular trends. Hence, feature film inspired dolls and replicas of imported figurines from the colonial era were created as welcome additions to the ones that existed.

These dolls are not merely a ritual. They are one of the world’s most ancient forms of moulding clay and an astounding combination of sculpture and painting. Each doll, preserved by families over generations, tells the memory of a story.

Like a thread that binds the past with the present, this art form is an embodiment of the cultural diversity of our country. Contemporary times may have diluted its significance, thus discouraging the creation of these dolls, but it is in our hands to allow these tiny sculptures an eternal place in our hearts.

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