Bombe Habba, Golu, Kolu, Dasara Dolls Festival

The Dasara Dolls Festival is a 10 Days long festival that generally falls between end of September to start of November, depending on the Lunar calendar. The Festival is commonly called as Bombe Habba, Golu or Kolu

The Festival is celebrated in the first nine days of the Sharad Rutu (Ritu – meaning season) that falls in the Ashvija maasa’s (maasa is a month) first Forth night. People in South India, especially Karnataka, some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Celebrate Dasara by worshipping the Goddess Durga as KaLi Durga, Lakshmi Durga and Saraswathi Durga; respectively between the days 1-3, 4-6, 7-9. The nights between 1st and the 10th Days are Celebrated as Navaratri (Nine Nights) which is considered as sacred nights when the Goddess won over a number of Asuras/Raakshasas (Daemons).

The 10th Day is Celebrated as Vijaya Dashami (10th Day against Complete Victory of the Goddesses over the Daemons). There are many stories against Vijaya Dashami, as Rama’s Victory over Ravana, etc. Finally it is the Victory of goodness over bad that is celebrated as Vijaya Dashami.

Coming to the Dolls of Dasara, this is a traditionally carried out festival. The main Dolls are a natural Family Pair of Humans, generally considered as Husband and Wife, called as Pattada Gombe, or Pattath bommaikal; referring to the main dolls of the festival. These are dolls that are generally handed over to the daughters of a family during her marriage to start her own family and also carry on the tradition. The Pattada Gombe are made of wood. they are either dressed well using colour papers, or even Silk materials, the Dolls are dressed according to the Classical/traditional costumes of the family (We could see some dressed in Suits as Shorts as well referring to cross culture.) but the one dressed in Indian costumes with heavy works on them as well as the Folding and designs catches the eyes to check the patience of the person who dressed it as well how their tradition is preserved even with the dolls.

Dasara Dolls at B. R. Gayathri Devi's House - 2011

Going ahead, the Pattada gombe is surrounded with a number of dolls, some are statues of gods while other are decorative dolls, you could even see Dolls that tell stories like the Pancha-tantra, Thirsty crow, etc., one can also find the dolls that reflect our tradition like the marriage group, the Band set, Mysore – Dasara depiction, Temples, Places of India (even world), Family tree doll (Dolls that come within one another to a long series.), Praying a serpent, processions of Gods, Sports sets, Indian leaders, a village, Shashtyaabdhi purthi (Celebration of Completion of 60th year). Dolls depict epical stories of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishna Leela, Tiruvelaiyaadal (the playing of gods as humans), etc.
The dolls come as sets or single dolls, they are mostly made by hand, for bulk manufacturing, moulding is used, they could be made of Clay, mud, wood, porcelain, Plastic, beads, or any material that could be turned as even a part of a doll.

Most of the Houses the dolls are kept in steps, some of them arrange it as sets, some arrange them as stories, and some arrange as they want to. In any such arrangement, you could see at least one Kalasa (a container with water, leaves and a fruit – generally a coconut on it), the Pattada Gombe and at least one form of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva, Forms of the Godess Maha Shakti (Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, etc.).

I had been to houses where the arrangement was on small steps but on wider area, around 13+ steps starting from the edge of their roof till the floor where the Volume of the house was less, perpendicular arrangements, etc. but visiting them at least once in a year could tell you about the talents and patience of the people who do such arrangements.

Dolls are not the end. I remember in my child hood, I used to carry a lot of eatables (snacks) from my neighbours during Dasara, between (1991-2000), but saw a drastic change since then, people either stopped or reduced keeping Dolls in most of the paces and the zeal was lost, this not only reduced the flow of small delicious eatables but also drought down healthy neighborliness. Thanks to the TV and Print Media, their initiatives brought in the fervour back in 2008. I get the snacks back on evenings by going to neighbours and relatives’ places to see their art against Dasara Dolls.

I have seen the Dasara Dolls since my 1st year (though I might not be knowing/understanding what it was then), my mother has been keeping it for 24th year now. I have been buying dolls for her since I started working (in fact some part of my Salary is saved for that as well as budget is also important.)
I would be placing albums against the Dasara dolls' pics that I took this year at around 8 places (due to busy office schedules, I could not travel to many homes and increase my collection). Along with that there would be pics of Sri Sharadaamba at Sri Ganesha Mandiram, T. R. Nagar, Bangalore – 28, that were taken during Navaratri with the Goddess in different Alankaara(s). Also some of the pics I took at Maa Durga Pooja celebrations by Bihar brothers and sisters near Puttenahalli, Bangalore.

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