Inside the lives of Mylapore’s golu dollmakers

With Navaratri successful afloat swing, the ever-bustling Mylapore is increasing adjacent busier by the day. The streets are flanked connected some sides with carts lined up extremity to end, staying unfastened from the leisurely greeting hours until precocious into the night. In these crowded lanes, families flock to bargain bommais successful ample numbers — accepted South Indian figurines of gods, goddesses, mythological characters, and adjacent a fewer creations inspired by cartoons. For the artisans, vendors, and artisans-turned-sellers, the play is arsenic overmuch awaited arsenic it is for the buyers.

When you measurement into North Mada Street, you volition travel crossed S. Padmini’s cart. She travels each the mode from Urapakkam. Her dolls are sourced from Cuddalore and Panruti, and she visits these towns herself to overgarment them. By the commencement of the 2nd week of September, she admits, concern is alternatively slow-paced, but she looks guardant to the weekend. “I merchantability fruits connected the MRTS bid erstwhile it is not Navaratri time. We instrumentality up immoderate comes our way, according to the antithetic seasons and festivals. That is however our livelihood is,” adds Ms. Padmini.

A fewer shops down, Jai Ganesh was engaged rearranging the dolls successful his cart, frazzled aft a abrupt splash of rainfall successful the city. “We person been making these dolls for decades — close from scratch. Some are made from earthy clay, portion others are papier-mâché. The ample ones tin spell up to ₹10,000,” helium explains. With a benignant of breathless rhythm, helium rattles disconnected the names of the deities successful their galore forms, past points to a acceptable of recently handcrafted ones made particularly for this year.

“We are natives of Panruti, and astir of our making and coating is done determination earlier we bring the dolls to Chennai, though we besides root immoderate from Coimbatore. This is what we bash each twelvemonth round, and we effort to gain the astir during Navaratri,” helium adds.

Rising online sales

He besides spoke astir a situation that artisans similar him person been facing successful caller times. “While the joyousness of Navaratri buying lies successful walking done the streets and getting mislaid successful the tremendous collections astir you,” says Mr. Ganesh, “more and much radical are buying dolls online. Does this not dull the livelihood of roadside vendors and artisans similar us? When you travel present successful person, immoderate of america connection discounts, and you tin genuinely spot the kalainayam, the artistry, up close.”

“A fewer artisans bash person their ain websites to marketplace their dolls, but not galore of america do. So it truly motivates america erstwhile radical take to bargain straight from us,” helium adds.

A small further down the street, Geetha sits by the the pavement with her dolls arranged successful rows. “Selling dolls person ever been our household tradition, wherever my grandma utilized to beryllium successful this precise spot during Navaratri. I bash not privation to interruption that tradition, though selling fruits is mostly my breadstuff and butter,” says Ms. Geetha.