Bommala Koluvu

Bommala Koluvu is this really cute, and (sadly) fading tradition that's part of Dussehra. 

This year there's two occasions that brought it to the fore for me.

Last week when I'd gone to visit AMS with mom, on the way we saw these footpath sellers sell these little coloured trees which took me back to the times when it was part of life.

Back in the yore, 'bommala koluvu' was a big part of family tradition. As was common then, family head quarters was at greatgrand mom's house at Barkatpura, and most festival activities were focused there.

It was a whole process, with preparations starting a month ahead. First would be the decision of what story they want to pick for the year. It would typically be a sequence from the Ramayana or Mahabharata. Then deciding how it would be represented...like a mini screenplay kinds.

And then we would figure which of the previous years dolls (which were carefully preserved in a metal trunk) could be used, and which ones needed to be made afresh.

It would start right from making the characters.....twisting wire, making paper mache from old newspaper, creating the figurines, putting them out to dry, painting them ( the eyes and lips would be left for the more artistic in the family, and there were plenty of those, mom included). 

Then the exciting part of dressing them up. Making little saris and dhotis and blouses and kurtas and each would be so very pretty. And then accessories. Little chains and bangles, everything was made at home. Background paintings, cotton for clouds, paper mountains, little forests. 

Gosh, it was a huge exercise in camaraderie and creativity. It's no wonder it brings up so much nostalgia.

And then the nine days of having family and friends visit, and each time there would be a visitor one of us would be honoured with the task of explaining the story. I'm sure most of my knowledge of the Ramayana and Mahabarata came form there.

The two I got to see this year, one in real at AMS and the other in pictures from Girija. She experimented. She bought this online DIY ( do it yourself) kit for the steps, and evening sent me a message saying, "I almost died doing it, the ad saying it's simple is a cheat" :)

End of all that effort she had a lovely 'bommala koluvu', which even made it way into the local newspaper. Way to go girl. We need people like you to keep the tradition alive !

 The one at AMS 

Girija's

The first one top left is Girija's in the local Tamil paper

So colourful and pretty !