The 24-days’ effort to decorate two hundred-year-old dolls may be a tedious task for many. But for Bangalore-based Anu Visweswar, a relative of the erstwhile Diwan of the Mysore Princely State Sir M. Visvesvaraya, it is a passion and commitment to carry on the tradition.
“My mother-in-law gave me these dolls, which were inherited by her family. I used to help her decorate the dolls during Dasara,” she said.
This year, the theme Ms. Visweswar has adopted is ‘Sita Rama Kalyana’. Of the 13 dolls she possesses, 11 of them displayed at the Century Club (founded by Sir M. Visvesvaraya) — all about five feet tall — depict the wedding of Lord Rama with Sita.
Placed on a wooden platform, Rama and Sita are seen exchanging garlands in the presence of Sage Vasishta. They are accompanied by Lakshmana, Bharatha, Shatrugna, Kousalya, Kaikeyi, Sumitra, Dasharatha and Janaka.
“It took 20 days to dress up these dolls at home and another four days to install them here,” she said.
The other attractions this time include thermocol replicas of the Vidhana Soudha, Karnataka High Court and the Mysore palace. Also seen is an artistically carved ‘Mayura Veena.’
Apart from decorating dolls on different themes and displaying them at the ISKCON, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat, Ms. Visweswar’s dolls have also been taken to the United States of America for a cultural programme organised by the Association of Kannada Kootas of America.
However, Ms. Visweswar expressed regret that the tradition of decorating dolls at home was decreasing. “The doll exhibition has a social significance,” she added.
