Berhampur: Bommala Koluvu, the display of dolls, is an integral part of the nine-day ‘Navaratri Puja’ among south Indians, mainly in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
M Venkat Rao, a retired Central government employee, and his wife M Padmavati have been continuing the tradition which their family has been following over four generations.
Their residence at Braja Nagar 3rd Lane, near All India Radio centre in Berhampur, has turned into a major attraction for the Telugu community here.
On display at their home are more than 1000 dolls of Puranic figures, animals, birds and also various poses of Yogasan.
The idols have been arranged in the form of step-like horizontal arrays and thematically represent Astha Laxmi, Kailash Giri, Sri Krishna Leela, poses of yogasan, devotion of Meera Bai, some events from Ramayan, Hindu marriages, Naba Durga, Dasabatar, Sagar Manthan and others.
Among the exhibits are an 80-year-old earthen idol of Lord Krishna, Rath Yatra of three deities Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, and many others. Almost all the idols are made of earthen soil, while a few are of plastic, glass and other materials, informed Rao.
Friends, relatives and well-wishers have been visiting Rao’s home daily to see the ‘Koluvu’. They are given prasad (offerings to the God) and kumkum.
The visiting guests and the host chant devotional hymns and shlokas at Koluvu when puja is performed in the evening. Thereafter, food items offered to the goddess are served to the people.
“Preserving the dolls and bringing them out during such occasions is a mammoth task, but an engaging one. We went all the way to different places to buy some thematic dolls,” said Padmavati.
When ‘Bommala Koluvu’ ends on Vijaya Dasami, the toys will be carefully taken out and preserved for next year.