Tamilians celebrate Navaratri by creating an assemblage of dolls of popular deities or characters from folklore that becomes the focus of worship and celebration during the festival.
A generation ago, nearly every South Indian home in Matunga displayed a colourful arrangement of dolls called Golu during the nine days of Navaratri.
Today, it’s a fast disappearing tradition as families lack both the time and space to create this elaborate ensemble.
Tamilians celebrate Navaratri by creating an assemblage of dolls of popular deities or characters from folklore that becomes the focus of worship and celebration during the festival.
The five, seven or nine-tier arrangement is usually built around a theme, like Dasavataram or Rama Pattabhishekham. Some dolls are also symbolic; the wooden dolls called Marapaachi are of a traditional couple and represent fertility.
Matunga resident, 91-year-old Thangam Anantharaman, remembers making replicas of the holy Palani Hill in Tamil Nadu. “We used to create miniature gardens and although we were 11 people living in two rooms, one room was kept aside for Golu decorations,” says Anantharaman, who recently revived the tradition at his home after a 15-year gap.
The centre point of the arrangement is a Kalasam — a brass or silver pot of water topped with a coconut and mango leaves. The festival ends with one doll from the display symbolically put to sleep and the Kalasam turned to face north. After the festival, the dolls are stored away for the next Navaratri.
While a few families still cling to the tradition, a Golu display is becoming increasingly rare in Matunga homes. KA Vishwanathan, Anantharaman’s son says that working mothers today have neither the time nor inspiration to create the time-consuming displays. “Also, children would help the women in the arrangement. Today, they’re busy attending tuition classes or are preoccupied with other hobbies and pursuits,” he adds.
One to make an exception is Uma Ramakrishnan. The Sion-resident still celebrates Navaratri with an elaborate Golu. Before the festival, she visits shops in Matunga to buy interesting dolls to add to her collection. “My children now decide which dolls to buy,” she reveals. During the festival, she also invites neighbours and relatives to look at the display and join her family for prayers.
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