Bombe Mane - Ramsons' House of Dolls

Bombe Mane 2011 - Navadurga in Tuluva Tradition Brochure

2011-10-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

Seeds of Bombe Mane

2011-10-05T01:06:00.000-07:00

When I first visited Ramsons store in 1997, I was awestruck with so much beauty under one roof. I was like Alice in the wonderland (of handicrafts). I had been to Mysore's Cauvery Emporium, the handicrafts marketing enterprise of Karnataka government, but it paled in front of the treasure trove that Ramsons is.

Ramsons has every possible Indian handicraft product from rosewood inlay furnitures, intricately carved sandalwood figurines, traditional board games, miniature paintings, Mysore style paintings, Tanjore paintings, brass figurines, stone sculptures, papier machie products, marble vases painted with gold, and so many more.

Still, I was not happy, I looked all over again, all counters, corners, shelves, and all three floors across which the store is spread. One thing was conspicuous by its absence - clay dolls.

My obsession with dolls started when, as a kid, I saw doll festival at my maternal granny's home in Nanjanagud, during Dasara. A fairy land of dolls lay in front of me. I had never seen those dolls before, though I visited my granny quite often. I later came to know that they were carefully stored in a huge wooden chest, the entire year, only to be taken out during the festival. Beautifully coloured clay dolls of all shapes and sizes captured my imagination. It seemed like my other granny's stories of Rama, Krishna and other gods had come alive in those moon faced cute dolls.

Returning home at Mysore, a near empty showcase welcomed me. I started pestering mom to buy dolls and demanded that we celebrate doll festival at home. She yielded to my relentless demand and started buying dolls from hawkers who sold them from door to door. Whenever our relatives toured outside, they bought dolls for us. One by one, the showcase at home started filling with dolls; our own small collection was building up. Mom's mother bought and gifted a pair of pattada gombe (Raja Rani dolls in red sanders wood also called as chandanada gombe) from Tirupati. After a few years the doll hawkers came few and far between, doll supply started drying up and within a matter of a decade dolls were not available in Mysore. I started looking for dolls wherever I went; my mission was to have a decent collection of dolls.

So, I was pretty disappointed when I did not find any clay dolls at Ramsons except a few old damaged ones. When I asked Gyani (R.G. Singh), a partner of the shop about it, he told me that earlier they were selling beautiful Kolhapur dolls and in fact the store had earned the epithet 'Gombe Angadi' (The Doll Store). Since past few years the demand for dolls had died down - the reason why the store did not sell dolls anymore - he added.

I asked him why not start selling dolls again as dolls are not available in Mysore and one has to buy them either in Bangalore or Madurai which are very far from Mysore. My efforts to convince him failed. Then as a last resort I requested Gyani to buy dolls for me whenever he went out on business trips, for which he agreed. My collection started growing again. In fact, most beautiful dolls in my collection are what Gyani bought.

After my education I honed my design skills at Ramsons and finally became its official designer in 2004. I renewed my request (which had graduated to a demand by now) to Gyani about doll exhibition. Ramsons nurtures an art foundation, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, which is working towards research, development and support of art and craft forms of the land. So my argument was that the doll-making forms a huge chunk of craft tradition and impressed upon him the fact that the doll-making tradition of Mysore has already disappeared. In the same breath I told that if we can come up with a project that can atleast help even in a small way to sustain the tradition of doll festival in Mysore; looking back now, I think this argument made an impact and Gyani started working on it mentally.

In the year 2005, just a couple of weeks before Dasara, Gyani went to Varanasi on a business trip. There he saw beautiful wooden dolls at a doll manufacturer's store. Next day morning he went to Ahilya Bai ghat for his customary dip in the Ganges. He took three dips and turned around towards the ghat. The ghat with its rows and rows of steps leading down to the river was teeming with people. Suddenly, it looked like the doll display during the doll festival at Mysore where dolls are neatly arranged on stepped platform. Returning to the hotel room Gyani called me and asked me to talk with his dad and brothers and tell them that we are having doll exhibition for the Dasara. He asked me to prepare a nice brochure and fax him a copy before getting it printed.

I was excited to receive this call from Gyani and started working on it right away. The first thing was I did was to coin the name 'Bombe Mane' for the exhibition. It means doll house or house of dolls.

Then I conveyed the message of Gyani to his father and brothers and everyone started working at full throttle since we had just 10 days to put up an exhibition. I photographed dolls, wrote text, designed the brochure and faxed it to Gyani. Getting a green signal from him, I took the design to printer and got it printed.

Day by day, things became hectic and the hall of Pratima Gallery started transforming in to a doll house. Invitations were posted and dolls started arriving from Varanasi, Sarnath and Jaipur. Gyani arrived a day before the inauguration of Bombe Mane. The exhibition was a huge success. Thousands of people thronged Pratima Gallery and Bombe Mane was the talk of town within couple of days.

Along with new dolls from across 10 states - Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal and Orissa - old dolls in the collection of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, gifted by Smt. Kaladevi, were on display. Thus since past seven years Bombe Mane is gaining popularity not only in Mysore, but also within the state and without.

Miniature Kitchen Utensils

2011-09-28T06:18:00.000-07:00

Miniature kitchen utensils (also called 'Aatada Saamanu' in Kannada and 'Choppu Set' in Tamil) are a favourite of many a children. They play with it aping their mother's kitchen chores. Bombe Mane has introduced kitchen sets crafted in terracotta and wooden lacquerware. It has been a long standing demand of doll lovers to have brass kitchen sets. So the design wing of Ramsons Kala Pratishtana took on loan the old brass kitchen sets in the collection of Smt. Kaladevi and got them copied anew.

So here are the two sets produced exclusively for Bombe Mane customers.

Set-1: Contains 12 pieces of kitchen utensils including a traditional stove, winnow, bucket and coconut scraper.

Following is the second set of kitchen utensils.

Set-2: Contains 12 pieces of kitchen utensils including a traditional cutter, uruli , water pitcher, wok and various vessels.

Kitchen sets are available not only in metal, but also in wood and terracotta at Bombe Mane. Check out the colourful lathe turned wooden kitchen set.

Colourful wooden lacquerware kitchen set from Etikoppaka

The magical medium of terracotta has lent itself beautifully in the hands of potters from Pudukkottai who have created the following kitchen set complete with a stove, vessels, wok, winnow, grinder, masala stone, cutter, etc.

Terracotta kitchen set from Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu

So, if your young child's birthday is around the corner, these are the best presents you can give.

Inauguration - Bombe Mane 2011

2011-09-18T08:56:00.000-07:00

From right: M.B. Singh, P.R. Anand Rao and D. Ram Singh

From left: M.B. Singh, D. Ram Singh, artist Raghupati Bhat and P.R. Anand Rao

P.R. Anand Rao lights the lamp and inaugurates the exhibition of Bombe Mane

The vigorous beats of Chanday drums created a positive atmosphere during inauguration

Navadurga in Tuluva Folk Tradition

2011-09-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Daivasthana created at Bombe Mane to house Navadurga

Indian sub-continent is blessed with fertile soil because of its innumerable rivers. Right from Indus Valley civilization up to present day, farming has been the backbone of India. Man toils day in and day out in farmlands, orchards and plantations. When nature rewards him with a bountiful harvest, he is thankful. Thus the field, soil, rain and nature are subjects of thanksgiving for its people. The bond between man and nature has grown emotional with man considering nature as the divine mother. To thank her generosity (food) and seek protection from her fury (natural calamities), people across the sub-continent have venerated and appeased nature as a benign divine mother since time immemorial.

This idea of worshipping divinity as feminine has been well documented in Vedas and over centuries has spread far and wide in the sub-continent. According to Devi Mahatmya, nine manifestations of devi Durga are known as Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandra Ghanta (Chanda Khanda), Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kalaratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri (Siddhidayini) and are collectively called Navadurga. Each of them is worshipped on different nights of Navaratri.

Shailaputri Brahmacharini Chandakhanda

The worship of Devi or divine mother has acquired local flavours and is highly evolved. The Tulu speaking people from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts in Karnataka follow a unique folk tradition of worshiping animals, deities and folk heroes as spirits invoked into huge wooden figures called Uru or Paapay. Tall, wide eyed figures hewn out of jackfruit wood are brightly coloured in primary colours and decorated with 'byagadi' paper which imitates gold in colour and brilliance. They are installed and worshiped in sanctified spaces called 'daivasthana' or 'bhutagaradi'.

Kushmanda Skandamata Katyayini

Veerabhadra Jarandaya the god of might, Panjurli the protector, Bobbarya the guardian, Kalabhairava Mandathaya, Jumadi the goddess of prosperity - these are few of the pantheon of Tulu folk deities. Kola and Nema are night long rituals and worship of these deities called 'daivas'. Goddess Jumadi (Dhumavati) is worshipped along with her eight other forms - Durgi, Chandi, Chamundi, Lekkasiri (Rakteshwari), Maari, Mahankali, Kanneshwari and Komala Kumari as nine manifestation of the mother goddess in Tuluva folk tradition.

Kalaratri Mahagauri Siddhidayini

Based on the iconography as suggested in the encyclopedic Sritattvanidhi, Navadurga figures have been created in jackfruit wood by Pradeep Gudigar of Kundapura. Rajesh Acharya of Udupi has casted bronze masks in traditional lost wax process. Udupi artist Purushotham Adve's acrylic on canvas depict masks and other aspects of bhutaradhane. Palimar's Venkataramana Kamath has crafted masks, scimitars and daiva figures in clay. A beautiful pillared sanctum has been created by Srikanth Sharma of Srirangapatna to house these Navadurgas. Padmanabha Pambada and his assistants have come all the way from Palimar to decorate the diorama with traditional ani ornamentation using parts of the sacred coconut and areca trees and embellishing them with floral patterns and mango leaf festoons.

This tradition of veneration is unique to the coastal strip of our state. Hundreds of garadis and daivasthanas are spread across the areas populated by Tuluvas from Sullia to Baindur.

This is an endeavour of Bombe Mane to showcase little known traditions associated with the all important devi worship. This year's Navadurga worship has been presented in traditional Tulu folk idiom.This unique flavour of Tuluva land is sure a feast for senses.

Bombe Mane 2011 - Inauguration Invitation

2011-09-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Ramsons Kala Pratishtana

invites you to the 7th annual doll exhibition

BOMBE MANE

Inauguration: Sri P.R. Anand Rao, National Secretary, Bharat Vikas Parishad

Chief Guest: Sri S.A. Ramdas, Hon'ble Minister for Medical Education, Govt. of Karnataka

Guest of Honour: Smt. G.H. Vanita Prasanna, Hon'ble Member, Mysore City Corporation

Inauguration on: Thursday 15 September 2011. 6.30 pm

Exhibition: 16 Sep. to 6 Oct. 2011. 10.30 am to 7 pm

Venue: Pratima Gallery, 1160, Ramsons House, In front of Zoo, Mysore 570010

Bombe Mane 2011 - Brochure

2011-09-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Dolls as playthings is a universal phenomenon. But in some ancient cultures, across the globe, they are also venerated and propitiated for different reasons. In India, several regions have unique traditions associated with doll worship like - Bhutaradhane of coastal areas of Karnataka, Rati Manmatha worship of Hubli-Dharwad, Bombe Masti worship and Koggatthi dolls of North Kanara and Ayyanar worship prevalent in Tamilnadu.

Tulu speaking people of coastal Karnataka worship Bhutas, or spirits in the form of brightly coloured wooden dolls. The object of their worship are animals, folk heroes, demi gods and gods. Tall figures of bhutas or daivas hewn out of jackfruit wood (Artocarpus heterophyllus), painted bright red all over and having huge unblinking eyes captivate the imagination of onlookers. These massive idols stand guard in sanctified sanctuaries or 'daivasthanas'. Believers celebrate the ideals like innocence, honesty, sacrifice and courage of common men and women whom these figures represent, and hence are venerated.

This year Ramsons Kala Pratishtana has brought a slice of South Canara to Bombe Mane. Navadurgas in the form of wooden daiva figures of Tulu folk art have adorned the display section in divine majesty. These nine goddesses - Shailaputri, Brahmacharini, Chandra Ghanta (Chanda Khanda), Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayini, Kalaratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri (Siddhidayini) - manifested on nine successive nights of Sharannavaratri to defeat the devious Mahisha and scores of his commanders; they are worshiped across India. In Tuluva tradition, the lore associated with the origin of these goddesses is different. According to it, nine manifestations of goddess Durga Parameshwari are called Jumadi (Dhumavati), Lekkasiri (Rakteshwari), Chandi, Chamundi, Kanneshwari, Durgi, Mari, Mahankali and Komala Kumari.

Artists, Pradeep Gudigar of Kundapura, Rajesh Acharya and Purushotham Adve of Udupi, and Venkataramana Kamath of Palimar have brought alive the dolls and other accessories for this unique display. Padmanabha Pambada of Palimar and Srikanth Sharma of Srirangapatna have inricately decorated the display area in authentic 'daivasthana' style.

Apart from this special display, Bombe Mane has the choicest dolls lovingly selected from across India. Traditional clay dolls, wooden Ambari procession sets, Mahishasura dolls, miniature kitchen sets in brass, wood and clay, doll sets of Ramayana and Mahabharata, miniature animals, birds and fish in wood, Raja Rani dolls in brass, wooden doll house, doll house furniture in wood, papier machie dolls, costume dolls, lathe turned lacquerware dolls and toys, plaster of paris dolls of various deities and saints, etc., are among thousands of dolls on display.

Each one of these dolls are waiting to tell you their story and fire the imagination of you and your little ones. Come, take home the innocence of dolls and their loving embrace.

Welcome to Bombe Mane.

- Dr. C.R. Dileep Kumar

Inauguration of Bombe Mane 2010

2010-10-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

Dr. C.R. Dileep Kumar explaining about the dolls displayed to Maharajakumari Kamakshi Devi yavaru and Prince Atmanya Dev Ji.

Atmanya Dev Ji enamoured with the miniature Palace Gate. L-R: Smt. Harinita Singh, Maharajakumari Kamakshi Deviyavaru, Prince Atmanya Dev Ji, Sri D. Ram Singh, Chairman, RKP, Sri Anantaraja Urs, Sri Raghu Dharmendra

Prince Atmanya Dev Ji and Maharajakumari Kamakshi Deviyavaru appreciating the doll of Royal Cow.

Sri R.G. Singh (far right), Secretary, RKP, explaining the scroll painting of 1825 dasara procession of Mummadi (collection: Victoria and Albert Museum) to the royal couple.

Sri R.G. Singh explaining the diorama of Sirsi Marikamba temple to the royal couple.

Maharajakumari Kamakshi Deviyavaru inaugurating the 'Bombe Mane' exhibition by lighting the lamp.

Sri D. Ram Singh and Smt. R. Kaladevi with royal couple witnessing the doll dasara procession.

Sri D. Ram Singh presenting the memento to Maharajakumari.

Sri M.B. Singh, Executive Trustee, RKP, felicitating Prince Atmanya Dev Ji Jhala of Wadhwan

Royal couple with Sri Murugesh, artist who created the 12 feet wide model of Palace.

Royal couple with artist Srikanth Sharma who created the diorama of Sirsi Marikamba.

Royal couple with artist Sri A.M. Swamy who painted five canvases of five kings.

Sri D. Ram Singh and Sri Ajay Kumar Singh, Trustee, RKP thanking royal couple for gracing the occasion.

Special display of Bombe Mane 2010

2010-10-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

The special display at this Bombe Mane is a hall of fame of dolls. This hall of fame pays tribute to five great rulers of Mysore who immortalised Dasara in the annals of Mysore's history beginning Raja Wodeyar who began the tradition (of Mysore Dasara on the lines of celebrations at Vijayanagara) four centuries ago and the last four rulers who made the celebrations known across India and the world.

Since then, every successor to the throne has followed this annual tradition except a couple of years during the reign of Tipu Sultan. A scroll painting in company style in the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum, UK, is a magnificent visual record of the Dasara celebrated during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. With the advent of photography, the Dasara celebrations of Chamaraja Wodeyar X have been vividly captured in sepia tones. Raja Rishi Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV (Nalwadi) gave a whole new impetus to the annual pageantry which had reduced from martial show of strength to a symbolic ritual. Dasara became synonymous with Mysore.

Panorama of the special display at Bombe Mane

Ramsons Kala Pratishtana pays tribute to the enlightened rulers of Mysore by recreating, in part, of the famed Mysore Dasara of 1939 during the reign of Nalwadi.

Sannidhi of Sirsi Marikamba depicted at Bombe Mane

Also on display is a replica, in part, of the famed Marikamba temple at Sirsi in North Canara. The unique Kavi art of the Konkan region forms the backdrop of the deity and the buffalo (Pattada Kona). According to one legend, the buffalo is considered to be Marikamba's spouse and is reared in the temple with special care. It is taken around the town in a procession a week ahead of the bi-annual temple fair. Devotees are known to feed the buffalo with rice, jaggery and coconuts.

Entrance door of Sirsi Marikamba temple decorated with Kavi art

Kavi art is a style of creating designs and frescos on walls with red dye which is prepared using red ochre, sea shrimps, crystal, fermented jaggery and lime. The mixture produces the characteristic dark-maroon colour.

Scene depicting Dasara procession of 1939

Inaugural Function Invitation

2010-09-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Brochure 2010 Kannada

2010-09-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

Brochure 2010 English

2010-09-20T01:55:00.000-07:00

Four Centuries of Mysore Dasara

First nine nights and ten days of Hindu month of Ashwin is celebrated as Navaratri and Dasara respectively - a ritual thanksgiving to the martial goddess Chamundi the slayer of the demon king Mahishasura. For emperors of Karnataka Samrajya ruling from Vijayanagara this festival conveniently lent itself for military posturing. On the tenth day (Vijayadashami), the emperor received ceremonial honour from vassals and took stock of his army in a ritualistic parade which concluded in the outskirts of city limits wherein the monarch shot an arrow each in four cardinal directions; the farthest arrow indicated the direction of next military conquest.

With the decline of this medieval Karnataka empire, local chieftains and kings declared sovereignty. Raja Wodeyar of Mysore seized this opportunity and took charge of the fort of Srirangapatna ousting Tirumalaraya II in 1610 and thus inheriting the throne which legends associate with the Pandavas. The same year he celebrated Dasara in accordance to the famed Vijayanagara traditions declaring himself the successor of traditions and rituals associated with the festival.

Since then, every successor to the throne has followed this annual tradition except a couple of years during the reign of Tipu Sultan. A scroll painting in company style in the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum, UK, is a magnificent visual record of the Dasara celebrated during the reign of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III. With the advent of photography, the Dasara celebrations of Chamaraja Wodeyar X have been vividly captured in sepia tones. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV gave a whole new impetus to the annual pageantry which had reduced from martial show of strength to a symbolic ritual. Dasara became synonymous with Mysore.

2010 marks 400 years since the first Dasara of Raja Wodeyar. Ramsons Kala Pratishtana is celebrating this momentous anniversary in a special way. About 350 dolls have been created in wood after extensive research referring to old photographs, books, archival material and the final reference was the canvas paintings at the Kalyana Mantapa of Amba Vilas which depict various scenes of Dasara procession.

The main attraction at this Bombe Mane is the elephant carrying the golden howdah with the Maharaja, Yuvaraja and the heir apparent. Anay Gaadi, royal horse, cow and elephant, camels, attendants displaying various standards like Suryapana, Chandrapana, other royal insignia, servants carrying flowers, garlands, Chopdars, Palace officers, courtiers, Maharaja's own personal bodyguards, horsemen, Banarasi Danka, musicians, elephants carrying howdahs, Halay Paiki commandos, mahouts, elephant boys, etc., make up this parade. Attention to detail such as colour, patterns and shape are the highlights of these miniature marvels.

Other popular dolls available: Soft wood dolls, toys and play things from several states like Andhra Pradesh (Kondapalli and Nirmal), Karnataka (Kinhala and Channapatna), Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi and Sarnath), traditional clay and terracotta dolls from Pondicherry, Panruti, Tanjavur, Madurai, Mayiladuturai (Tamil Nadu), papier-mâché dolls from Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu), Ganges clay dolls from Krishnanagar, Bankura and Kolkata (West Bengal), plaster-of-paris dolls from Kolhapur (Maharashtra) and miniature brass utensils from Aligarh (UP). Another attraction is the portrait bust idols of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III, Chamaraja Wodeyar X, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and Jayachamaraja Wodeyar.

Come, a whole new doll experience awaits you at Bombe Mane.

Sapta Matrika - Seven Mother Goddesses

2009-09-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

We relate more intimately to the divine if she is considered to be the ‘Mother’. Hence, worshiping the divine feminine, in nine forms of Devi (Nava Durga), is at the core of Dasara festivities in many parts of the country. In comparison, the tradition of Navaratri worship in Mysore is unique; seven mother goddesses or Sapta Matrika are propitiated here.

Historically too, the people of Mysore and neighbouring regions were known to venerate Sapta Matrika. The evidence for this is the fact that many a kings and rulers of this region had titles like ‘Sapta Matrika Varaprasada’ (boon of seven mother goddesses), ‘Sapta Matrika Sevaka’ (servant of seven mother goddesses), etc.

Young purohit Sri Ananta Bhat is performing Chandi Parayana at Ramsons. This worship started on the first day of Navaratri and will culminate on Vijayadashami day-after-tomorrow.

The silver idol of goddess Chamundeshwari (Shodasha Bhuja Mahisha Mardini) crafted in silver by young craftsman of Mysore Sri Dakshinamurthy. This beautiful devi is being worshipped at Ramsons' puja alcove.
The display above has been arranged at Bombe Mane depicting the seven mother goddesses. Since this is just for display, idols have not been consecrated. Seven clay figures have been lovingly draped (by Sri Srikanta Sharma of Srirangapatna, Mobile: 9972633977) with sarees and profusely decorated to present a glimpse of the glorious tradition of worship of sapta matrika. Special garlands made from Khus roots have formed a scented aura around each devi.

The seven bedecked devis clock-wise from left hand bottom corner are Braahmi rides a swan, Maaheshwari’s mount is a bull, Kaumaari rides a peacock, Vaishnavi with Garuda as the mount, Vaaraahi rides a buffalo, Indraani sits on elephant while Chandika is resplendent on a lion.

This is Chandika or Chamunda on lion.

This is Indrani, the shakti of Indra, with elephant as a mount.

This is boar headed mother goddess Varahi, shakti of Varaha, riding a male water-buffalo.

This is the shakti of Vishnu, Vaishnavi, riding the Garuda.

This is Kaumari, shakti of Kartikeya, with peacock as her mount.

This is Maaheshwari, shakti of Maheshwara, who rides a bull.

This is Braahmi, shakti of Brahma, seated on swan.

Kids of a montessori school enjoying their day-out at Bombe Mane.

Meaning of Bombe Mane

2009-09-19T00:31:00.000-07:00

'Bombe Mane' is Kannada for 'Doll House'. Bombe means doll and Mane is house. The word 'Bombe' seems to have derived from the word 'Bimba' which means image or figure.

In Tamil doll is called as 'Bommai' while it is 'Bomma' or 'Bommalu' in Telugu.

Dolls - The Tradition Endures

2009-09-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

First it was recession, then price rise and the last straw seemed to be the global pandemic H1N1 - with all these the world seems to be in the dumps, everything looks gloomy and gray. Just when it felt like hopelessness finally spread its dark hood on us, bang! Festivals are around the corner to warm up our hearts and minds.

Yes, the season of great Indian festivals is knocking on our doors with its first offering - Navaratri or Dasara. Aptly Dasara denotes the triumph of good over evil, in the current scenario - victory of hope over hopelessness. All across the country this festival is celebrated over 10 days and nine nights. These celebrations differ from place to place with every geographical region celebrating different aspects of life. Durga Puja, Ram leela, Garba, Dandiya Raas, Golu, Gombe Habba, Danteshwari Utsava, Kullu Dasara, Sringeri Navaratri Utsava, Madikeri Dasara, etc., are various celebrations of the festival in different geographic entities of the country.

Gombe Habba or the festival of dolls is unique to south India, especially Mysore, Tanjavur and Madurai in Tamilnadu and several places in Andhra Pradesh. Notable is the fact that doll festival was largely celebrated in cities which were the seats of royalty, this association of the doll festival with royal cities reflects the princely tastes of its inhabitants.

The Gombe Habba at Mysore reached its zenith during the rule of last four kings of Wodeyar dynasty. Mysore was a huge producer of dolls in variety of media including clay, ivory, wood, china clay, glass, etc. The end of royalty put an abrupt stop to many craft forms which also included doll-making. The result - Mysoreans gradually scaled down the celebrations of this hoary tradition. Well, all hope is not lost.

Mysore based Ramsons Kala Pratishtana started 'Bombe Mane' a unique exhibition of dolls in Dasara of 2005. The main intention behind this exhibition was to bring the dolls from across the country and make available to Mysoreans at affordable prices and thus be proactive in the resurgence of Bombe Habba in Mysore. The intention has been successfully realised. The exhibition has become one stop shop for all the doll requirements of doll lovers. Apart from Mysoreans, hundreds of doll lovers flock from across the state to be at Bombe Mane every Dasara.

Right from dolls of every possible medium to its accessories, doll houses, miniature kitchen utensils, faux fruits-vegetables, doll house furniture, miniature replicas of Mysore palace and other architectural features of the city, doll ornaments, apparel, etc., are available under one roof.

The exhibition features a special display of dolls based on a theme which changes every year. Last year a mini replica of the old wooden palace stood as the back drop to the dolls of musicians and courtiers of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar's court. Another scene depicted Krishna, Radha and their friends celebrating Navaratri in Vrindavana.

This year's feature is indeed special. Beautiful painted wooden dolls have been created of the Dasara procession. In front of a scaled down version of an imposing Amba Vilas palace, majestic elephants carrying howdahs, attendants and soldiers carrying assortment of regal standards while durbaris in court regalia walk the procession from a respectable distance. It is certain to take your breathe away with its sheer magnificence and beauty.

Bombe Mane has its usual fare of stunning potpourri of dolls from Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa. Along with the regular ones, dolls created with the design inputs from Ramsons Kala Pratishtana are in much demand because of the local flavour attached to it.

The fairy land of dolls, Bombe Mane, has descended at Pratima Gallery, in front of Zoo, Mysore, from 11-28 September 2009. A sea of charming dolls, toys and accessories are flaunting their finest. Come, get charmed this Dasara and take back a slice of your childhood with you.

Doll Rush of Mysore

2009-09-13T10:48:00.001-07:00

Today being Sunday, the crowd at Bombe Mane was huge. It seemed like a doll-rush. The heavy rush, especially in the evening, was crazy. I have posted 3 photographs and a video clip which I shot from the steps that lead into the Gallery; they might give you a fair idea of the doll-rush. Here they are...

Bombe Mane 2009 - Inauguration

2009-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Sri B.R. Jayaramaraje Urs I.A.S., Secretary, Kannada, Culture and Information Department, Government of Karnataka, Bangalore, inaugurated the doll extravaganza, 'Bombe Mane 2009' at Pratima Gallery at 11.30 am on 10 September 2009.

From left to right: Smt. Kaladevi, Trustee, RKP; Smt. Harinita Singh; Sri B.R. Jayaramaraje Urs; Govt. Officer; Govt. Officer; Sri D. Ram Singh, Chairman, RKP.

He later addressed the gathering and praised Ramsons Kala Pratishtana and the people behind the exhibition.

He is seen here looking at the miniature replica of mysore palace in front of which are the dolls of mysore dasara procession.

Sri M.B. Singh, Executive Trustee, RKP (and former editor of Prajavani, Sudha and Mayura) explaining the details of the dolls.

Going around the exhibition Sri Urs is seen here looking at the village scene.

Dr. Dileep Kumar, his mother and sister in front of the doll dasara procession.

Bombe Mane 2009 Invitation

2009-09-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Secretary of Kannada, Culture and Information Department, Sri B.R. Jayaramaraje Urs will inaugurate 'Bombe Mane 2009' on Thursday 29 September 2009 at 11.30 am. Venue: Pratima Gallery, In front of Zoo, Mysore.

A very warm welcome to one and all.

Bombe Mane 2009 - Brochure

2009-09-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

The very mention of Mysore Dasara evokes memories of the grand procession on Vijayadashami day. Numerous caparisoned elephants, hundreds of horses, medley of colourful folk performers, innumerable bands - student, military and police, scores of tableaus and a majestic tusker carrying the golden howdah. This carnival of pomp and pageantry treads an illuminated pathway from the palace to Bannimantap.

Veneration of the mother goddess Chamundeshwari is the important component of the festivities. Doll festival (Bombe Habba), celebrated at homes, is an integral part of the 10 day Dasara. Dolls collected over the years, nay, generations, are displayed on a seven stepped platform in houses across the city.

Ramsons at Mysore has brought these two traditions - Dasara procession anddoll festival - together.

Beautiful dolls of dasara procession have been lovingly crafted in wood by artisans based on designs given by Ramsons. 110 dolls out of a total 500 will be unveiled this Bombe Mane. A reproduction of Mysore palace which stands 6 ft tall and 12 ft wide provides the grand background to the procession.

That’s not all! Brightly painted wooden dolls of Varanasi will charm old and young alike. The clay doll of Mahishasura crafted by the Krishnanagar artisans is the answer to many years’ wait of doll lovers of Mysore.

Terracotta kitchen set by the master potters of Velar community of Tamilnadu will be the darling of young girls. Traditional clay dolls depicting deities, immortals and mortals alike are cynosure of doll lovers. The procession sets of wooden dolls from Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh are hot favourites.

Reproductions of the majestic Mysore palace, the multi pillared old wooden palace, grand palace gates, exhibition gate, etc., from Mysore will lend authenticity to the doll arrangement based on Mysore theme.

Many a dream of doll collectors will come true this Bombe Mane. Drop in to the largest doll extravaganza in the city and get charmed by the innocent beauty of dolls.

Delight of Photographers

2008-10-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Many visitors to Bombe Mane were also avid photographers. Bombe Mane proved to be a heaven for all these photographers who clicked away to glory. Mr. and Mrs. Kuldeep visited Bombe Mane and enthusiastically photographed all nooks and corners at this expo. Here's the link to Mr. Kuldeep's Webshot site where he has uploaded most of the photographs.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/567653396tYJgQl

Glimpses of Bombe Mane

2008-10-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Krishna, Radha and their friends are busy preparing for Navaratri and doll festival. Doll festival by dolls - a novel concept of Bombe Mane.

Krishna is arranging dolls on a doll platform, one of the Gopi helps him.

Dolls created from the sketch book of artist Tippaji (contemporary of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III 1794-1868). Musicians, chopdars, title bearers, chauri and chamara bearers, and personal guards (Halay Paiki) who adorned the court of Mummadi have been resurrected as wooden dolls. In the background is the model of old wooden Lakshmi Vilas Palace which was gutted in the fire that broke out during the wedding of Maharajakumari Jayalakshmammanni in 1897.

Eminent artist S.G. Vasudev is enamoured by all the colours, forms and textures of dolls in Bombe Mane during his visit with his family on 26 September 2008.

Tarun and his younger brother Charith are admiring the cricket dolls at Bombe Mane.

Inauguration

2008-09-29T01:49:00.001-07:00

Smt. Nandini Eswer, eminent danceuse of Mysuru, graciously inaugurated the exhibition of dolls 'Bombe Mane' on the evening of Thursday 25 September 2008 at Pratima Gallery. Following are a few snapshots of the occassion.

Smt. Nandini Eswer is inaugurating the exhibition by lighting the lamp. Smt. R. Kaladevi, trustee and Sri D. Ram Singh, Chairman, Ramsons Kala Pratishtana, look on.

A light moment during the inauguration.

L-R: Raghu, Nandini Eswer, Harinita Singh and Anita Singh.

Smt. Eswer is interested in the doll of one of Vishnu's guardians, Vijaya.

R.G. Singh and Dr. C.R. Dileep Kumar explaining the concept of the oil painting by the artist Manjunath Mane.

Smt. Nandini Eswer going around the exhibition with her grand daughter Poorvi and aunt Dr. Radha.

Smt. Nandini Eswer demonstrating a toy to her grand daughter Poorvi.

Facade of Pratima Gallery decked up to welcome visitors.

Bombe Mane 2008 Invitation

2008-09-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

Bombe Mane 2008

2008-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dolls are objects, crafted out of diverse material, having human features. They are a child's inanimate but silent companions with their ears and arms ever open. Dolls become an extension of a child’s personality. It also becomes a confidante in whom a child, sometimes even a grown up, shares his/her wildest fantasy and deepest secrets. Thus dolls become medium which absorb our varied emotions. In Thailand each child is given a tiny, adorable doll called 'Worry Doll' which is said to take away worries of a child, overnight! A local legend says that if you whisper your worry to that doll and tuck it under your pillow before going to bed, by morning your worries will have disappeared, taken away by these precious dolls.

In south India, a bride brings a pair of dolls (male and female) as part of her bridal trousseau to her new home. These dolls will be her closest friends until she settles there and gains an emotional foothold in the new family. She keeps these dolls with the ones brought from her mother-in-law as a bride. Whenever she goes to a pilgrimage she buys local dolls and adds to the collection. As a tradition, this collection is topped up every year with new dolls.

Dasara or Navaratri begins on the first day of the lunar month of Ashwayuja (September-October); it is celebrated throughout India in different flavours. In south India though, the festival revolves around the worship of the divine feminine that manifests as Prakruti or matter.

Our physical, intellectual and emotional body is limited in its capacity. We have crafted various tools through which we can expand our capacities. These tools are material objects shaped out of matter and are thus considered as manifestations of Devi. Hence, during Dasara, we worship Devi in all her material splendour like food (in the form of seedlings), like tools, weapons, vehicles and money on the day of Ayudha puja, and like learning aides (in the form of books, pens, musical instruments, etc.) on the day of Saraswati puja.

Dolls are worshipped for the same reason on all ten days of gombe habba (doll festival). A vantage place in the house is cleaned and cleared; an altar of five, seven or nine steps is built using wooden planks and draped over with white sheets of fabric. Dolls of every medium, colour, style and religion finds a place on this gombe mettilu (doll altar). King and queen dolls sit at the summit with others sitting elsewhere. Grocer and his wife, dancing girls, boys with pet dogs, cricket players, holy men, national heroes, animals, birds, kitchen utensils, men and women of various professions, etc., are all seated on the steps of the altar. Once ready, the gombe mettilu seems to mimic the society complete with its layers of hierarchical setup.

Mysuru boasts of this rich tradition of dolls which can be traced back to the Vijayanagar Empire. Ramsons feels privileged to be a part of this hoary tradition; since last four decades the shop was locally known as 'gombe angadi' (doll shop) which becomes true during each Dasara. Thousands of dolls travel from every nook and corner of the country to be at Ramsons on Dasara and vie for the attention of doll lovers of Mysuru. They compete among each other to be favoured by doll lovers.

Courtiers, musicians and the famed hale paiki (royal guards with twirled mustache) who adorned the court of Krishnaraja Wodeyar III have been resurrected as dolls in all their splendour in this year's Bombe Mane. They will take you 150 years back in time when Mysuru was witnessing a quiet renaissance in the fields of music, dance, literature, art, craft and culture.

Thousands of dolls speak thousands of tales. Come; listen to these silent tales of beauty and innocence at Ramsons.

The Dasara Doll

2008-08-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

Devi awaits her servant.

Wrists and elbows, now stiff or dislocated,

will be bent to bless, hold vessel or sword.

Bare limbs and head will be dressed,

ornaments blaze in the colours of divine moods.

Then the eyes will take on kindness or anger,

the mouth grimace or smile.

Others will pronounce her names.

She who holds such power of transformation,

the lady of the house,

is she herself the goddess

or her most intimate friend?

- Dr. Rowena Hill,

Poet, Venezuela

Dr. Rowena Hill is a poet from Venezuela who stayed in Mysore during her higher studies. She used to visit Mysore often, even after completing her studies. She currently resides in Venezuela. During her last visit to Mysore in Dasara 2006, she visited Bombe Mane. There she was intrigued by a doll whose limbs were detachable so that it could be dressed up in different costumes for different days during Dasara. She wrote the above poem as a tribute to that doll.

This doll is called 'keelu gombe' or 'keelu gowri' has been crafted in Kinhala, a hamlet near to Koppala district headquarters in Karnataka. This doll has been crafted by the master craftsman Sri Ekappa Chitragar.

Welcome to Bombe Mane

2008-06-13T02:06:00.000-07:00

Come Dasara and Mysuru becomes a bustling centre of festivities, fun and fantasy. Every night during these 10 days, a gargantuan incandescent word in Kannada - ಸುಸ್ವಾಗತ (susvaagata -meaning welcome) appears magically on the dark south-eastern skyline of the city where during the daylight one would have seen the expansive Chamundi Hill, the silent sentinel of the city.

This is how Mysore welcomes its guests during this festive season. But no such visual invitation is required to go to any stranger's house these days as you can just walk into any house in the evening if the dolls are arranged in that house.

Every house, literally, becomes a doll house for 10 days. Dolls that are being collected since generations are taken out from wooden chests, almirahs, lofts and showcases; they are diligently dusted, and neatly arranged on temporary wooden steps that would have been constructed beforehand.

Pattada Gombe, a pair of dolls (King & Queen) carved out of the rare red sandalwood, are placed at the summit of the arrangement, while other dolls occupy lower steps.

Dolls of every hue and mood vye for the attention of the onlooker and thereby taking him back to the magical world of innocence.