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Monday, October 11, 2010

Inauguration of Bombe Mane 2010

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.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Special display of Bombe Mane 2010

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

Monday, September 20, 2010

Brochure 2010 Kannada

Brochure 2010 English



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.