Chief Guests RBM 2026

 

Srimant Babaji Rajah Bhonsle

Srimant Babaji Rajah Bhonsle fondly known as Raja Saheb, is the scion of erstwhile Thanjavur Maratha Samsthanam. He is a distinguished heritage conservationist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and cultural patron whose multifaceted contributions have significantly enriched the cultural, spiritual, and socio-economic fabric of Thanjavur and beyond.

Deeply committed to heritage preservation, Raja Saheb established the INTACH Thanjavur Chapter and was instrumental in setting up the INTACH chapters in Madurai and Salem. His dedication encompasses both tangible and intangible heritage, with a strong focus on art, architecture, environmental conservation, and cultural traditions. He along with his better half, Srimati Gayatri Raje Bhonsle, actively supports research scholars and students, encouraging the study and preservation of India's rich cultural legacy.

His passion for research is reflected in his support for scholars visiting the Saraswati Mahal Library from across India and abroad. By facilitating access to its invaluable archives, books, manuscripts, and documents, he promotes academic research while continuously expanding his own knowledge of developments in heritage and related fields.

An engineer by training, Raja Saheb brings over three decades of experience in management and strategic planning. He is the Director of PQSI Digital Pvt. Ltd. He serves as an advisor to Kumaraguru Institutions, TAPAMS Consulting Pvt. Ltd., and InnoHat Systems Pvt. Ltd., contributing his expertise to education, skill development, and consulting initiatives.

His initiatives have positively influenced tourism, infrastructure development, employment generation, and new opportunities for the youth of Thanjavur. Acting as a bridge between government and society, he encourages philanthropy and mobilises institutional support for public welfare.

Smt. Gayatri Raje Bhonsle

Smt. Gayatri Raje Bhonsle was born and brought up in Baroda, Gujarat. She completed her graduation from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda.

She shares with her husband, Srimant Babaji Rajah Bhonsle, a deep interest in India’s heritage, culture, art, and traditions, with a particular focus on the rich cultural legacy of Thanjavur. As a member of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), she actively supports and participates in initiatives connected with heritage conservation and cultural awareness.

She has been closely involved in facilitating the work of scholars, researchers and authors working on Thanjavur's history, culture, art and traditions. She extends support to researchers by helping them access relevant resources, connect with people and institutions, and facilitate permissions required for their academic work and publications.

She also supports students of architecture and related disciplines, particularly those undertaking educational and project tours in Thanjavur. She assists them in obtaining necessary permissions and facilitates their exposure to the region's important monuments, temples, heritage sites and traditional cultural practices.

With a strong interest in Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), she is also working towards developing and creating content for school children, with the objective of introducing young minds to India's civilisational heritage, traditional knowledge, history, art and culture in an engaging and meaningful manner.

Through her continued involvement in heritage, education and cultural initiatives, Smt. Gayatri Raje Bhonsle seeks to encourage greater awareness and appreciation of Thanjavur's rich cultural legacy and to make its heritage accessible to scholars, students and the younger generation.

Dr. Sunitha Chandra kumar

Dr. Sunitha Chandra kumar is a distinguished musician, music educator, composer, and cultural organiser with a lifelong dedication to the promotion of Kannada music and the arts. Born into a traditional and culturally inclined family in Mysuru, she developed an early interest in dance and music. Dr. Sunitha received training in dance for ten years under Guru Vishnudas and studied Karnataka classical music for over a decade under Vidushi Smt. Vijayalakshmi. She further trained in Sugama Sangeetha for twelve years under Smt. H. R. Leelavathi and Sri S. G. Raghuram. In the year 2000, she began teaching Sugama Sangeetha through Surabhi Gana Mandali in Mandya and later extended her musical activities to Mysuru. In honour of her gurus, she established the Raghuleela School of Music.

Since 2003, Dr. Sunitha has organised a variety of theme-based cultural programmes, earning appreciation for her systematic training, careful planning, and disciplined approach. Under her musical direction, more than 35 audio recordings have been released, including works featuring children's songs, folk songs, Bhavageethe, compositions of Kuvempu, Dr. H. S. Venkateshamurthy, D. V. Gundappa, and other noted Kannada writers.

She has participated in and organised numerous musical programmes and has contributed significantly to taking Kannada Sugama Sangeetha to wider audiences. In January 2017 she initiated the 'Nagara Sankeertana' wherein almost a hundred of her students walk in and around a temple singing in unison. This happens  on the morning of first Sunday of the month. This has gone viral on social media. 

Through her sustained work as a teacher, composer, organiser, and performer, Dr. Sunitha Chandrakumar continues to make a valuable contribution to the preservation and promotion of Kannada culture through Sugama Sangeetha.

Invitation and brochure of Ramsons Bombe Mane 2026

 

Like a blank canvas, a lump of clay or a block of wood has infinite potential to become any object in the hands of its creator. But first things to usually emerge from them are dolls, toys and play-things which entertain and enliven the human spirit. Artisans across Indian sub-continent have used local wood varieties to create dolls which reflect the folk, cultural, and living traditions of the respective regions and decorated them with unique aesthetic sensibilities of their own.

Almost every region of our country has unique wooden doll making traditions and these are briefly introduced in this article. Starting from Karnataka, the dolls of Kinhala have hundreds of years of legacy dating back to the Karnataka Samrajya with its capital at Vijayanagara. The unassuming hamlet of Kinhala lies about 58 kilometers from Hampi and carries forward the age-old tradition of dolls that were once used to decorate the temples and temple chariots. Gramadevata, the female village protector deities were and still are created by the artisans of Kinhala and brightly painted in primary colours. The Keelu Gowri dolls featured here are the creations of master artisans of Kinhala.

The parallel tradition of wooden dolls with similar process is still alive and thriving at the doll village of Kondapalli which is about 23 kilometers from Vijayawada. The wooden polychrome dolls of this craft cluster are usually small, ranging between 4 to 8 inches when compared to that of Kinhala dolls which are usually 12 inches and above. The popular dolls depicting the local men and women of Kondapalli are featured here.

Channapatna, the doll capital of Karnataka, is the centre of making lathe turned, lacquer ware wooden dolls which seems to have started about 250 years ago. The design inetrvention of Ramsons  in this craft cluster has resulted in many popular dolls including the daruma doll pair of Mysore Appa Amma shown here.

A parallel stream of similar craft tradition of lathe turned wooden dolls has evolved almost a thousand kilometers north-east at the village of Etikoppaka near Vishakhapatnam of Andhra Pradesh. Miniature lathe-turned wooden ornamentation in this craft cluster is what makes it stand apart from the dolls of Channapatna. The doll diorama of Nadaswara troupe shown here is the product from Etikoppaka.

The wood polychrome dolls of Bhubaneshwar usually depict animals and birds which are almost two-dimensional. The artisans of this craft cluster have specially crafted the twin-headed eagle -Gandbherunda – the royal insignia of Wadiyars. This represents the rich tradition of Odisha at Ramsons Bombe Mane.

Varanasi is known for its unique hand carved wooden polychrome dolls. The flying gods are ubiquitous to this craft form. The doll of Rama seated on the back of a flying Hanuman, featured here, is from this craft cluster.

Apart from this we have the wooden miniature musical instruments from Bobbili, Andhra Pradesh, the Gangaur dolls from Jodhpur and gold painted wooden dolls from Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Ramsons Bombe Mane has hundreds of wooden dolls along with thousands more dolls made out of clay, paper mesh, cloth, ceramics and metal that you can add to your doll treasure and create your own unique doll display for the next Bombe Habba or Golu. Welcome to Bome Mane.

 

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Special Display 2025 - Hanumad Vilasa

Special Display 2025 - Hanumad Vilasa 

History of Doll Festival - Bombe Habba

We at Ramsons Bombe Mane have not come across any evidence regarding the history or background story about Bombe Habba. There are three theories, as told by some practitioners of Bombe Habba, as follows...

Theory 1: It is only during the 10 days of Sharan Navaratri that Mysore Maharaja ascends and sits on the golden throne - Karnataka Ratna Simhasana. Every time, before ascending the throne, he performs ritual worship to it. Every Mysorean wants to invite Maharaja to their home and pay respects to him in the form of Pada Puja. But since it is Navaratri, Maharaja has ritually committed (Kankana Bandhana) with a vow (sankalpa) to perform the Navaratri puja. So he cannot step out of the Palace during the nine plus one day until Seemollanghana. Hence as a representative of the king and the queen, the Pattada Bombe (pair of Raja Rani dolls made out of either wood, clay, cloth, metal or ivory) are worshipped during Navaratri / Dasara in many Mysore households. A stepped platform, representing the stepped golden throne, is assembled in one of the spacious rooms in the house and the Pattada Bombe are placed on the top-most tier. Other dolls in the form of deities, important personalities, animals, birds and toys are placed on the other steps of this Bombe Mettilu. Usually Bombe Mettilu consists of odd number of steps, say three, five, seven or nine. More number of steps will be added as the doll collection expands over years.

So paying respect to the royal couple is the first theory for Bombe Habba.

Theory 2: As per another theory, dolls represent our ancestors. Sharan Navaratri starts just as the fifteen days of Pitru Paksha ends and it is believed that our ancestors (Pitrus) descend to earth from their Pitru Loka during Pitru Paksha. There is a belief that dolls represent our ancestors and hence after the Pitru Paksha the dolls representing the ancestors are assembled neatly on a stepped platform and offered worship for nine days. After fifteen days from Navaratri during Deepavali, we light crackers and sky lanterns to show our ancestors way back to their abode. So the journey of our ancestors that starts from Pitru Paksha ends on Deepavali.

Theory 3: The third theory is interesting. The golden throne of Mysore is believed to have been come down from Pandavas. It was lost in time and found by Raja Bhoja of Ujjain under a mound of earth. It is said that the throne which belonged to Raja Vikramaditya was made of gold and was decorated with thirty-two dolls. It was excavated and on an auspicious day and time, Bhoja Raja tried to ascend the throne. As soon as he placed his foot on the first step of the throne, one of the dolls became alive, stopped the king from stepping further. It narrated a noble story of Raja Vikramaditya to whom the throne belonged earlier, and asked Bhoja whether he was worthy enough to ascend the throne. Disappointed with the answer, the doll flew away to heaven. The king tried to ascend the throne again the next day. The story repeated and one more doll flew away. Like wise, all the thirty-two dolls fly away to heaven. This is the famous story of Singhasan Battisi. 

The Bombe Mettilu of Navaratri peopled with the dolls represent this holy throne of Pandavas.

Inauguration- Bombe Mane 2025