Navratri Golu / Dasara Bobme arrangements in Mumbai

Its more than a week now, that I updated my blog. With Navratri dolls arranged at home(find the  arrangement here), I was busy with guests visiting us. 2nd October being a holiday for hubby, we managed to visit few of the other doll arrangements. 

To start with was our visit to Bhajan Samaj at Ghatkopar. They have hawan during navratri and every year we get to attend the hawan, if we visit in the afternoon. They have the old beautiful set of dolls, which they reshuffle on different steps every year. But dasara bobme is something, which is always a pleasure to watch the same dolls again and again, year after year.

 

From Bhajan Samaj, we visited Anuradha's uncle place. The arrangement which turns up a precise, accurate and perfect one, with uncle and aunty's 10 months of dedicated work and creativity.

Every year they have a miniature of modern building or a city theme, along with a village set up. This year's miniature model was of a railway station from Mumbai, with the market on one side and a slum scene on the other. Every detail is taken care of,

This reconstruction scene, caught our sight, an old building being demolished for the construction of a tall tower. 

And a village scene,

Marubai Gavdevi Mandir in Matunga, is yet another bobme arrangement, which we manage to visit every year. Just like Bhajan Samaj they have a set of old dolls, with few new ones added every year. We really need to sit for few minutes to check out arrangement and the small treasures of beautiful dolls hidden in the lot. 

The last bobme was at Fine Arts Society in Chembur. This was the first year we visited their arrangement. They have the arrangement for just last 5 days and till last year, I couldn't make it during those days.

A 15 steps arrangement with huge collection. Daughter is very much familiar with the Seetharamanjaneya set, which we added  to our doll collection this year and showing her that set at Fine Arts was really tough, it was up on the 2 step from top and I had to literally take a click and then make her identify.

The other attraction, apart from their 15 steps arrangement was the story of Shakuntala displayed through a series of dolls. From her birth till Bharata's(Shakuntala's son) rule on Bharat(India).

Shakuntala born to sage Vishwamitra and apsara Menaka was bought up by rishi Kanva.

King Dushyanta marries Shakuntala, departs after promising of coming back soon to take her along, and hands over a golden ring as token of love. Bharata, Shakuntala and Dushyanta's son is born. Shakuntala dreaming of Dushyanta, miss to great sage Duruvasa and get cursed by him, of she be forgotten by the person she was dreaming of. Shakuntala looses her ring, while on the way to Dushyanta's palace, and the king refuses to identify her and her son.

King Dushyanta, recalls his memory and remembers Shakuntala, ones a fisherman hands over the found, royal golden ring in fish's stomach. He accepts Shakuntala and Bharata, and bring them to the palace. Bharata becomes the first emperor in the subcontinent of India, which later came to be known as Bharat after his name.

The special prayers and sthotra's been recited there, make the environment even more divine.
After reaching home had aarthi of our bombe at home and at night visited few Durga Pandals. Next post on Durga Pandals coming soon,

Address and contact details of the temples,

Bhajan Samaj 
Barrister Nath Pai Rd,
Ghatkopar East,
Mumbai
Contact: 022 - 25060521

Marubai Gavdevi Mandir
Nathalal Parekh Rd,
Matunga,
Mumbai
Contact: 022 - 24095690
Its near Don Bosco Church in Matunga

Chembur Fine Arts Society
Acharya Nagar,
R C Marg,
Chembur,
Mumbai

Contact: 022 - 25221504 Its at the Chembur Monorail station