HYDERABAD: Rajalakshmi Ramana, a resident of Uttamnagar here, has organised a unique Bommalu Golu for the Navaratri festival, some of the dolls dating back to over 60 years.
The 70-year-old former bank employee from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu has showcased dolls featuring Lord Rama, Goddess Sita and Lakshmana, with the theme being the Ayodhya and Kanchi Kamakshi temples
Rajalakshmi told Deccan Chronicle that she had a passion for doll shows since she was 10. Later in life, her mother-in-law had a large collection of dolls which she used to display for the nine days of the festival. “I am fascinated by the golu art, which is a part of our South Indian tradition,”
The majority of the dolls were handed down to Rajalakshmi by her mother-in-law. The doll collections are a mix of those passed down through the family and those collected from various parts of Tamil Nadu.
Rajalakshmi chose a unique theme this year — the Lord Rama temple in Ayodhya — because she was arranging the set up after seven years. The temple is an intricately carved structure made of orange thermocol sheets, and closely resembles the temple coming up in Ayodhya.
"I finished the Ram mandir structure in about a month,” Rajyalakshmi said. The second structure is the Kanchi Kamakshi Ambal Devastahnaman. The kalasham, an integral part of Dasara celebrations, is three generations old.
Rajalakshmi said the purpose of the display was to instil interest among the younger generation about Indian traditions.
