An exquisite collection of dolls at Bombe Mane to herald Dasara

A collection of dolls from across the country is on display at Bombe Mane exhibition in Mysuru, which was inaugurated on Thursday. | Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM

The ‘Bombe Mane’, showcasing a myriad collection of dolls from across the country, was inaugurated on Thursday and will be on throughout the year.

Krishnadevaraya, scion of erstwhile royal house of Anegundi, inaugurated the exhibition on the Nazarbad Main Road, while the special display section was unveiled by Kaveri Ponnapa, author and independent writer on heritage, art and food.

Organised by Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, an organisation engaged in promotion of traditional crafts and fine arts, this is the 18th edition of the annual exhibition and sale of dolls that commences in the run up to the ‘Bombe Habba’, the tradition of displaying dolls during Dasara.

Described as an enduring tradition with a recorded history of at least four centuries, the custom of placing dolls of kings and queens, gods, humans alongside animals is an aspect of Navaratri or Dasara in many houses in Mysuru and other parts of the State.

Raghu Dharmanedra of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana said there is a thematic display of bejewelled, scarlet-faced goddess Marikamba of Sirsi, a much revered deity of Uttara Kannada.

The Kaavi painting on the facade and interiors of the temple dedicated to her at Sirsi, is unique to that region and both of them will be on display, he said.

Hasti Mangala, a special expo showcasing elephants in Indian craft, painting and textiles was hosted by Ramson’s flagship store the Ramsons Handicrafts and some of the exhibits from that expo will also be on display at Bombe Mane.

Mr. Dharmendra said that Rakshasa Ranga is an attempt to shine light on the positive aspects of the rakshasas or demons, who are a regular feature in the mythologies and some of them are depicted in the display section.

In sync with the times, the exhibition has added a range of exhibits to depict Azadi Ki Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of Independence apart from thousands of dolls, most of which are handmade by artisans with clay, wood, terracotta, ceramic, plaster of Paris, paper mesh, metal, and cloth as the raw materials.

The range of doll collection spans  Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Telangana, and Odisha and the new arrivals include Puri Jagannatha, Mannargudi Rajagopala, Renuka Yellamma, Devi Vishwaroopa, Chanday Mela, Vadiraja Teertha etc., according to Mr. Dharmendra.

A set of fridge magnets featuring Mysuru Dasara is also one of the highlights and these magnets will bring alive a slice of Dasara in any household, he added. The exhibition will continue throughout the year and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.