Navaratri is a major festival of the Hindus that is celebrated in various styles all over the country every year. In the southern part of India, the festival of Navaratri is celebrated with a very interesting and unique tradition called Bombe Habba or Golu or Kolu (Kannada) or simply dassera dolls. The festival is celebrated for 10 days and culminates on the day of Vijayadashami or Dasara, the day when Goddess Durga won the battle against the demons or asuras after fighting for 9 days.
The Dasara doll festival is celebrated in Karnataka through an exhibition of various dolls and figurines arranged as per custom. The dolls are arranged and exhibited on a stepped platform having an odd number of steps or tiers. The main dolls of the festival are a pair depicting a husband and a wife. They are referred to as Pattada Gombe or Pattath bommaikal. This set is handed over to a daughter by her parents during her marriage ceremony. They are presented to the new bride to start her own family and continue with the tradition of the festival. Mainly made from wood, these dolls are dressed colorfully using papers or silk textiles.
I’m from eastern part of India, but I’m lucky to have gotten my hands on the center of attraction, pattada gombe. My best friend wanted to bring me something unique before he left south India (he went there for his education) and he did! I was excited when I first saw it on the bank of ganges (our hangout place) and downright thrilled as I learned more about it’s history and origin. Indeed, India is diverse and rich in its varied heritage and never ceases to make me proud and amazed.
The reason for this post is my use of the pattada gombe picture in another of my post (the very first one) today. I couldn’t write more about it in there as it concerned some other issue..and I felt I owe it to the magnificent couple, to mention them in a separate post.
My gombe king looks angry, but that’s okay..a little bit of attitude suits the king.
(And my silly attempt at trying to impersonate him)
The queen has however issues with her eye, I’m guessing squint, oh! the poor soul. But I’m sure it doesn’t restrict her vision in any way.
Nevertheless, their beauty makes up for it all, I can’t get over them and I’m sure neither can you, enjoy the gombes’, the beautiful dassara dolls and the grandeur of the festivities.
Creative Cauldron 