Chennai: Among all the festivals, Navarathri stays close to our heart and every year we celebrate it in a grand manner. Many have dusted their old collections of dolls and kept them ready for kolu.
The nine-day festival which starts from tomorrow not only gives an opportunity for creativity but also helps strengthen bond with their neighbours.
Cashing in on the festival mood are the vendors, who have come up with wide range of dolls at nook and corner of the city and suburbs. News Today gives a glimpse of dolls available this season from different places in city.
T Nagar
Award-winning craftsman from Puducherry, A Sekar of Balaji Art Works is conducting an exhibition of dolls at Panigraha Kalyana Mandapam, West Mambalam, till 8 October.
Over 1,000 dolls are on display for sale at the venue. Most of them are new arrivals made of clay, terracotta and papier mache, highlighting epics like Mahabharata, Ramayana and Devi puranam. This year, they have come out with fresh products like Namakkal Anjaneyar, Gita Upadesam, Narasimha and Tirumala Balaji Thirukalyanam, giant-sized Vinayaka and more.
Chrompet
The markets are flooded with kolu dolls, return gifts like-thoranams, cosmetics, plastic items, special pooja materials and other articles.
Vishwanathan who runs a shop in the beginning of Rajendra Prasad Road (RP Road), has put an exclusive stall in a banquet hall nearby.
“There are a lot of new arrivals, including Athi Varadhar, Chakkarathaalwar and Narasimhar two-in-one doll, Boovaraha Perumal, Nanganallur Anjaneya, Ramanujan Chella Pillai (Ramanujan hugging Lord Vishnu), Uduppi Krishnar and Mannarkudi Rajagopala Swamy,” he said.
“Apart from these, several figurines have been upgraded this year. For example, Meenakshi Kalyanam and Ramar pattabishekam have become an all-in-one piece doll. The regular Kamakshi Amman and seemantham set, have all been changed in terms of structure and colour of paint,” he added.
Vadapalani
A walk through the market around Vadapalani Murugan Temple, Palani Andavar Koil Street and surrounding madas, several dozen vendors occupy the pavements and sell kolu dolls of various kinds.
Chinnadurai who has set up a stall on Gandhi Road said, “Every year, figurines of Lord Perumal, Durga, Vinayagar are widely sold. This, we have come up with Athi Varadhar doll.”
Nanganallur
The markets are flooded with kolu dolls, return gifts like- decorative items, cosmetics, plastic articles, special pooja materials and what not.
Talking about the new variety of dolls that have arrived in the market, a shop-keeper who has been running an exclusive doll shop in the neighbourhood for more than 22 years, said, “This year, the newest arrival is the Athi Varadhar doll. Most of the customers ask for it and it is available in different sizes also. Since, Athi Varadhar went viral only months ago, we are not able to meet the demand. Next year, we will produce more of these dolls.”
The sets of Kumbarkarnan, Gadodhgajan, Arasa Marathu Vinayagar, Paambu Puthu, Vinayagar wedding, Cricket Vinayagar, Krishnar Thula Baaram are highly demanded. “Also, there is this new doll called Ramanujan Chella Pillai which looks like Ramanujar hugging Perumal. In addition to these dolls, Chakkarathaalwar dolls are also most sought,” he said.
Velacheri
The markets in the locality have already set up stock of dolls and decors. As many as three shops at Dhandeeswaram have lined up clay kolu dolls.
“I have been selling kolu dolls here for 18 years. The latest trend this season is Athi Varadhar. A variety of colourful dolls like Ashta Lakshmi, Seetha Kalyanam, Dasavatharam, Kailasam, Maya Bazaar, Lakshmi, Durga, Krishna and Vinayagar,” are available said says Kalaiselvi, who runs one such outlet,
Mylapore
The Mada Streets of Mylapore are filled with vendors selling kolu bommai and the locality grips with festive fervour as lot of people have started their purchase for the celebration.
With one full side of the North Mada street decked up with dolls, few vendors spoke about the sale. “Athi Varadhar, Arjunan Thapas, Sayana perumal are some of the fresh pieces this year. The fourty-eight day Athi Varadhar festival attracted lakhs of devotees to Kanchipuram and now Athi Varadhar set is the highlight of this year’s Navarathri,” said Arul, a vendor.