The significance of Navrathri Golu or Bommai Golu – India’s Doll Festival

Navrathri Golu or Golu pandigai also known as Bommai Golu ( for Tamizhians) and Bommala Koluvu (in Telugu) is India’s doll festival.

A festival spanning nine days, Golu pandigai is a great occasion to indulge in family time, interact with friends and neighbours, and be a part of spiritual endeavours.

In fact, Hinamatsuri — the doll festival of Japan, is very similar to this ancient Hindu custom of dolls’ display called Navratri Golu , which is also called simply as Golu, by the Tamil people.

If you are looking for information on Navarathri, how it is celebrated in southern India, and would love to understand the concept of Golu, then you have come to the right place.

Through this post, let me take you on a virtual guided tour of Golu hopping — from preparatory days to the finale; as I share some personal anecdotes, back-stories of the Golu festival as well as interesting golu themes and golu decoration ideas.

Also, over the years, I have been repeatedly asked about where to buy Navaratri Golu doll sets — a point that’s also been covered in this write-up.

Firstly, let me answer the often asked questions about the Golu festival.

What is Navrathri Golu or Navratri Golu?

While Navrathri (Navratri) across the rest of India is often associated with ritualistic worship or garba or Durga Puja, the local populace of TamilNadu celebrates it as a ‘nine-day dolls festival’ of Navrathri Bommai Golu ( sometimes also called as Kolu Bommai), in which bommai stands for doll, golu or kolu for display and pandigai means festival.

Golu is celebrated as Bommala Koluvu in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, and as Bombe Habba in Karnataka during the months of September-October based on the Hindu Lunar calendar.

What are the dates for Navarathri Golu 2022/ Navaratri Golu 2022 / Bommai Golu 2022?

The dates for celebrating Navarathri Golu or Bommai Golu this year: Starts on 26 September 2022, Monday and ends on 5th October 2022, Wednesday.

And, trust me when I say that Tamil Nadu is the best place to experience Golu pandigai. So why don’t you plan an elaborate trip to Tamil Nadu with this curated tour ?

Paucity of time? Then may be, you could do the tour of Mylapore neighbourhood in Chennai.

If you are visiting the city during the Navarathri season, then do opt for one of the guided tours to explore the Chennai city. You will be surprised to learn about Chennai in a new perspective.

Also, here are a few guided tours of Mylapore in Chennai, which I found during my research on ways to explore this metropolitan.  You could consider these especially during the Navarathri. That would be a double whammy then!

Now that, we know what is Golu pandigai all about, let me share with you a few anecdotes related to the festivities around Bommai Golu.

Nostalgia around Golu pandigai during Navrathri

Navrathri Golu gains importance and prominence among festivals, especially in traditional Tamizh homes.

My fondest childhood memories of this Golu festival are around the times I spent with my (late)grandpa, during the preparatory days leading to Navaratri : when as a family we indulged in house-cleaning, unpacking boxes marked as ‘Golu’ that had dolls of every colour, size, and shape, and setting the golu.

Of course, dusting umpteen sets of dolls ( made of clay), wax-made shining fruits and vegetables for display, arranging Golu Bommai (dolls and toys) by segregating them into sections titled zoo, school, park et al, and chalking out a list of prasadam(offerings to God) for the next nine days as part of the routine was a fixture during Navaratri!

All this bommala kolu frenzy was often immersed in melodious Indian Classical, Hindustani and Carnatic songs that the good old cassettes inserted into the now-defunct Phillips tape-recorder churned out; the tunes of which pervaded our home, day in and day out and alleviated to unbearable levels during these festive seasons.

You may want to know about the making of the Golu dolls. Do read on…

Navarathri Golu Dolls – Bommai Golu

Many of the golu bommai or dolls are usually passed on as a family legacy and possession from one generation to another.

So, the preparatory days of ours also included moments of letting out a meek shriek — on discovering one or two of the favourite dolls, dismantled after its year-long hibernation inside cartons, and a bit of brooding over the loss of the precious piece!

Yes! These clay-based eco-friendly golu bommai or dolls are displayed once a year during Bommai Golu. And, then packed and secured on lofts to be unpacked and displayed again the next year during Navratri and Golu festival.

It is a cyclic process, and I always wondered if it represents the cycle of life and death!

The fun of implementing Navrathri Golu ideas

As kids, once done with elementary chores, we took up one activity each day to put forth our best for the finale of Navarathri.  There was no dearth of Golu festival ideas.

Foremost was growing grass for the greenery that pervades Golu. And, mustard seeds were much sought after to make mini tableaus of lawns, weeds, and forests.

We preferred mustard over others, as the former sprout shoots quickly, while resembling a lush grassland.

But, we didn’t grow mustard first, at least not before earmarking places for the crocodile pond, wildlife safari, and children’s park around which handfuls of soil were usually spread to seed the mustards.

The enclosures were then filled with tiny figurines of birds, animals, vehicles, and humans.

Another constant in my family’s bommai golu was the miniature theppakulam (pond) made of a water beaker that had floating mandapams.

I remember making these mandapams with the help of my mom and thatha (grandpa) by cutting and pasting the thermocol sheets together and then embellishing it with colourful ribbons, pieces of mirrors, motifs, and shimmers.

This was to complement the majestic looking colourful-clay Gopuram (Indian temple tower) with some devotees and saints sitting pretty as dolls. With this the temple set-up was complete. A perfect Golu idea theme around temples and spirituality!

The significance of Bommai Golu during Navaratri

Durga-Puja and Dussehra festivals during the Navaratri season are quite well known and celebrated on a large scale, thus, hogging the limelight; while the humble and simple Navaratri Golu pandigai or the Golu festival of south-India remains obscure.

So, come with me as I take you through the realms of time around this festival of south-India that gets usually confined to households, clustered societies, and temples.

The story behind Golu Pandigai and Navrathri

Where to buy the Navaratri Golu dolls and doll sets?

It is customary to include a new doll in the Navaratri Golu collection every year. So, a trip to the local market, days in advance, is the norm just before every Golu pandigai in most households.

Nowadays, Golu dolls and golu doll sets are available online.

During my childhood days, I used to chuckle at the way people bargained and bought these dolls from the vendors. The usual rhetorics were, ‘Oru Vivekanandar Kodu’ (Give me a Vivekananda) or ‘Andha Durgai evalavukku koduppai’ (For what price are you ready to sell the Durga idol). As a child, it sounded to me as if all these personalities were for sale!

Stepping up the Golu Padi or Golu stand

The dolls are to be conventionally displayed on golu padigal (steps to display the dolls) during Bommai Golu. These wooden steps are often dismantlable ones and are sold as a unit but in odd-numbers of 3,5,7,9 or 11 steps.

Nowadays, people have also started opting for steel or wrought-iron Golu stands. Do check out Kriti – a Salem based folkloric design studio who specialise in golu padi.

The entire living room of a home is often dedicated to Bommai Golu and I remember, as a child, enthusiastically packing away my school books into a trunk to make way for more space until the nine-day festival (holidays) came to an end, year after year!

What if one doesn’t have a Golu stand?

Fret not if you do not have the Golu stand. You can very well display them by setting some carton or the easy way out is to use the bookshelves or bookstands.

We did not have the luxury of space then, to accommodate a golu stand. So, the norm was to clear our bookshelves in the living room and display these dolls.

Ironically, we have ample space now, yet, unfortunately, we cannot indulge in all the preparation of keeping Golu as the tradition has been discontinued in my in-laws home many decades back.

Life can often be unfair and I terribly miss the celebrations around this beautiful homespun festival that has helped in forging relationships with the near and far, as well as with unknown people, many a time.

Arrangement and Navratri decoration during Bommai Golu

The figurines of gods and goddesses are mandatorily assigned the top tier while dolls of shopkeepers, Tanjore thalayaati Chettiar and Chettichi bommai, a bride and bride-groom set-up, vibrant and animated vegetable sellers or flower sellers et al occupied the lower rungs.

Another favourite doll set of mine was a scene of Adi Sankaracharya preaching his disciples under the shade of a tree.

After the Golu Padi and Golu Bommmai are arranged, it is time to give final touches to the whole set-up. Fairy lights and colourful rangoli (floral and motifs) dominate the decor of these living rooms and homes.

Rangoli Golu Designs and Patterns – Gallery

Here are some of the rangoli Golu designs I have done over the years since 1998. I do not have photographs of the same, prior to this year, though. It was a moment of pride as a child when friends and relatives used to tag along with their friends just to have a glimpse of the rangoli I did and the theme of Bommai Golu we displayed.

The rangoli and theme were always different every year. So, if you get to visit a house during these nine days, do appreciate the efforts of the womenfolk. A word of appreciation is sure to brighten up any face, isn’t it?

Rituals and Culturals around Bommai Golu

Once the Golu is arranged, womenfolk and girls(kanya) of the family start inviting neighbours and relatives to have a glimpse of Bommai Golu and seek the almighty’s blessings for the next nine days.

A visit to ancient local temples is another ritual, as temples too celebrate Bommai Golu by a display of dolls as well as by adorning and decorating the deity in the form of Shakti! This decoration of the deity is termed as alankaram.

Get to know the interesting concept of Golu hopping

Golu hopping is again an interesting aspect of Golu Pandigai. These visits to various households that hold the Bommai Golu are an opportunity to showcase the singing and creative talents of ladies and girls too.

As I could only compete in braying, I was often uncomfortable with this part of the festival during my childhood.

However, on one of the occasions, a very kind family friend suggested that I could recite chapters of the Bhagavad Gita if I wasn’t comfortable singing. This made me( the then 11-year-old me)giddy with excitement and I quickly rattled away three chapters from the sacred book of the Hindus to the applause of all the ladies present.

Since then for many years, as others sang to glory, I ended up reciting chapters and slokas from Hindu scriptures. We still have a hearty laugh when I think of those good old days!

Navrathri Golu Pandigai — Only Ladies, Please!

Golu is more of a festival ‘for women by women’. Men usually end up performing the role of chauffers and helpers to bring home the required items for the festival, of course amidst gulping umpteen number of filter kaapi all along!!

Women are presented with a packet of prasadam, a hamper containing seasonal fruits, coconut, kumkum (vermillion) and manjal (turmeric) along with betel leaves and a string of flowers when they visit a home during Golu hopping. Nowadays, a return gift is added too.

It is interesting how a festival that started with a religious and spiritual concept transcends age and time, and has burgeoned into a social event where competitions are also being conducted to encourage and appreciate the efforts of the female folk.

Parting Words on Navarathri Golu Pandigai

Bommai Golu during Navaratri is an occasion for families and friends to get together and introduce Indian culture and ancient epics to younger generations. Also, to visit ancient temples like the Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai, which has elaborate Navaratri Golu year after year.

However, the divinity associated with Golu pandigai is slowly ebbing away. It has come to just baking cakes, visiting restaurants for lunch, and greeting each other through WhatsApp messages, in many of the households, as some feel it is a tedious process.

I just hope these beautiful concepts of community interaction and living that so mindfully also provide a livelihood to the doll makers, potters and vendors get to stay on forever. After all, these are eco-friendly festivals and should not be swapped with other activities and events leading to a cultural appropriation that indirectly also encourage the use of plastics.

Let us be eco-sensitive as our ancestors were and appreciate our ancient traditions, customs, and rituals and take immense pride in them. There is nothing regressive about following old traditions that are built around sustainability, socialization, and eco-sensitivity!

I hope you liked reading this post as much as I enjoyed reminiscing the memories and putting it together. Season’s Greetings!

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