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

Dasara Bobme Habba at Home

Navratri has started, the 10 day long festival, celebrating the victory of goddess durga over Mahishasura, victory of goodness over evil. The Mysore Dasara, where goddess Durga/Chamundeshwari's victory is celebrated by 10 day long special durbar at Mysore Palace and the festival ends with the grand procession of Mysore Dasara, the Jambu Savari on Vijay Dashami, the 10th day of Navtratri, with the idol of goddess Chamundeshwari been carried by an elephant in a golden howdah. 

It was years back during the rule of Mysore Maharaja(King), when it was so called the golden era, when every citizen of the kingdom lead a prosperous life. While Maharaja celebrated Dasara with the 10 day special durbar and the Jambu Savari(when the king himself used to sit in the golden hawda for Jambu Savari), people of the kingdom, had a virtual durbar of the king and showcased the prosperous life lead by them through the clay models at their homes. The pattad bobme, the wooden dolls represented the king and queen. The festival turned to be a Naada Habba(state festival), irrespective of the caste and religion, everybody celebrated Navratri arranging dolls.
Here is how we are celebrating Navratri this year, by arranging dolls at home.

Main steps

Ganapati and SeethaRamanjaneya in First row, second row Krishna in different forms(Gopala, Makhan chor, kalinga mardan), pattad bombe and other gods. These dolls excluding ganapati and pattada bobme are almost 50years old, which I repainted.

The last row, these too are almost 50years old, repainted(excluding the gujarati groom)

Andal, Meera, Shivaji Maharaj, a saint and Sai Baba

Tulsi Pooja doll set

Shetty and his wife with their shop, selling grocery and Jewelry. The brass and copper utensils are from Mathura, there are also mini perfume bottles behind

A Miniature painting on Marble from Jaipur

Kailas Parbat, with a water fall and village scene. The water fall actually works

A miniature garden in a basket, with souvenirs, wind mill from Netherlands, country house from UK, Eiffel tower from France and a camel from Dubai

These cute dolls are 20years old from my treasure of miniature collection

More souvenirs from my collection, cow bell from Switzerland, Milan Cathedral snow ball from Milano, Italy, behind that is sydney Harbour bridge(its a 3-D puzzle by Franks), an Egyptian king souvenir from Egypt, Lucky Leprechaun from Ireland, Petronas Tower from Malaysia, Funny Sheep from Ireland, Ashoka Pillar from Delhi, Burj Al Arab from Dubai, Merlion from Singapore, Taj Mahal from Agra, Fridge magnet from London and a scaled Emirates A380 from Dubai

A petrol station scene

And a service station

And my daughter's doll house

Wishing you all Prosperous Navratri, May Goddess Chamundeshwari bless you all with happiness and prosperity

HAPPY NAVRATRI!!!

Navratri Dolls for sale in Mumbai

Its that time of the year, my whole family eagerly wait for, that's Navratri. Navratri starts from 25th Sept, this year. Just two days left and am lagging with my preparation for the bombe arrangement at home. Hubby has lot of plans for this year's arrangement. Will post my bombe pics by this weekend, once the festival starts and we are done with our doll set up. 

Meanwhile, here is a peak to the dolls sold here in Mumbai for Navratri. Matunga is know to be the mini South India of Mumbai. Be it the flower shops or the banana shops inside the market, or the Udupi Shri Krishna Hotel and the Mysore Silk Saree Showrooms, the place has every thing a south Indian looks for.  So this is the place where you can expect the navratri dolls too. Giri stores in Matunga have navratri dolls for sale. They also have the Golu padi(the stand to arrange dolls), decorative items, sarees, girls traditional frocks(reshme langa/pattu pavadai). They have a huge collection, here are few of them,

Seetha Ramanjaneya set

Vasthu Lakshmi Set

Maya Bazaar

Govardhan giri set

Water tap with ladies

A classroom scene dolls set

Ladies Music set

Here is their contact detail http://giri.in/contact.asp They have their stores in Bangalore and New Delhi as well. You can check with them if they have Navratri dolls.

Here are some useful links to, Naivedyam and colours for nine days during Navratri.