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{{Short description|Festive display of dolls in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name = Tamil: Bommai kolu (பொம்மை கொலு) Telugu: Bommala Koluvu (బొమ్మల కొలువు) Kannada: Gombe Habba (ಗೊಂಬೆ ಹಬ್ಬ) Malayalam: Bommakkolu (ബൊമ്മക്കൊലു)
| type = Hindu
| longtype = [[Hindu]]
| image = Navratri Golu.jpg
| caption = Dasara dolls arrangement
| nickname =
| observedby = Hindus of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and few parts of Kerala
| begins = [[Mahalaya]]
| ends = [[Vijayadashami]]
| celebrations =
| observances = Story telling with dolls, family visiting
| relatedto = [[Navaratri]]
| month =
| firsttime =
| frequency =
| duration =
| scheduling =
| alt =
| weekday =
| date =
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}}
'''Golu''' is the festive display of dolls and figurines in South India during the autumn festive season, particularly around the multiday [[Navaratri]] (Dussehra, Dasara) festival of [[Hinduism]]. These displays are typically thematic, narrating a legend from a [[Hindu text]] to court life, weddings, everyday scenes, and miniature kitchen utensils. They are also known as '''Golu''', '''Gombe Habba''', '''Bommai golu,''' or '''Bommala Koluvu'''.<ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/Unique-artistic-creative-Kolu-plans/article12547720.ece Unique, artistic, creative: Kolu plans], The Hindu (6 October 2012)</ref><ref name="ClausDiamond2003p443">{{cite book|first1=Peter J.|last1=Claus|first2=Sarah|last2=Diamond|first3=Margaret Ann|last3=Mills|title=South Asian Folklore: An Encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ienxrTPHzzwC&pg=PA443|year=2003|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-93919-5|pages=443–444}}</ref><ref name="Bado2010p35">{{cite book|first1=Nikki|last1=Bado-Fralick|first2=Rebecca Sachs|last2=Norris|title=Toying with God: The World of Religious Games and Dolls|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Jq8sAQAAIAAJ |year=2010|publisher=Baylor University Press |isbn=978-1-60258-181-4|pages=35–36}}</ref>

Each displayed item in a golu display is sometimes called a golu doll or equivalent. These are typically made by rural artisans from clay and wooden materials then brightly painted. They are generally arranged in an odd number of ''padis'' (tiers or steps) to tell a story. Goddess-related themes are common, along with developments such as anticipated wedding within the family and of friends.<ref name="ClausDiamond2003p443" /><ref name="BornetBurger2012p192" /> During the golu display season, families and neighbors visit each other with gifts to view and chit-chat over the golu display, share festive foods, and sometimes play music or sing devotional songs together.<ref name="BornetBurger2012p192">{{cite book|first1=Philippe|last1=Bornet|first2=Maya|last2=Burger|title=Religions in Play: Games, Rituals, and Virtual Worlds|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=t3X18dopUoMC&pg=PA188 |year=2012|publisher= Theologischer Verlag Zürich|isbn=978-3-290-22010-5|pages=188–194}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Vasudha|last=Narayanan|editor-first=Knut A.|editor-last=Jacobsen|title=Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=--9WCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA342|year=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-40358-6|page=342}}</ref> Major [[Hindu temple]]s such as the [[Meenakshi Temple]] in [[Madurai]], arrange elaborate golu displays each year for [[Navaratri]].<ref>[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Navarathri-celebrations-Meenakshi-temple-golu-display-steals-the-show/articleshow/54706589.cms Navarathri celebrations: Meenakshi temple golu display steals the show], The Times of India (6 Oct 2016)</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Madurai/crowds-throng-madurai-meenakshi-temple-for-golu/article5206661.ece Crowds throng Madurai Meenakshi temple for 'golu'], The Hindu (6 October 2013)</ref><ref>[http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/gods-and-gopurams-in-full-glow/article6465343.ece Gods and gopurams in full glow], The Hindu (1 October 2014)</ref>

==Etymology==
Bommai golu in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] means doll decoration. Bommala Koluvu in [[Telugu language|Telugu]] means court of toys and Gombe Habba means doll festival in [[Kannada language|Kannada]]. It is a part of the annual Dasara-Vijayadasami Hindu festival where young girls and women display dolls, figurine, court life, everyday scenes along with the divine presence of the goddesses [[Saraswati]], [[Parvati]] and [[Laxmi|Lakshmi]] in the Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu households during [[Navaratri]], the nine nights.<ref name="ClausDiamond2003p443"/>

==Description==
[[File:ಒಣ ತೆಂಗಿನಕಾಯಿ ಕೆತ್ತನೆ.jpg|thumb|left|Traditional bride and groom dolls made from dry coconut at homes, Karnataka.]]

On the first day of [[Navaratri]], following [[Ganesha|Ganapati]] puja, a welcoming ritual is performed for goddesses [[Saraswati]], [[Durga]], and [[Lakshmi]] by a Hindu ritual called ''Kalasa Aavahanam'' which is performed by an elderly male or female of the family at an auspicious time (''muhurtam''). This is then followed by building a rack of odd-numbered shelves of ''golu'' (or ''Padi'') (usually 3, 5, 7, 9, or 11), set up using wooden planks. After the steps have been covered with fabric it is then adorned with various dolls, figurines and toys according to their size, with the deities at the top.<ref name="BornetBurger2012p192"/>

[[File:Navrathiri Golu Display in Australia.jpg|thumb|Traditional golu Display in Melbourne, Australia]]
[[File:7 steps Golu in Melbourne Australia 2023.jpg|thumb|7 Steps Golu in Melbourne, Australia 2023]]

The dolls are predominantly displayed with depictions from Hindu mythological texts, court life, royal procession, ratha yatra, weddings, baby showers, everyday scenes, miniature kitchen utensils, anything a little girl would have played with. It is a traditional practice to have wooden figurines of the bride and groom together, called '[[Marapachi Dolls|Marapacchi Bommai]]' or 'Pattada Gombe', usually made of sandalwood, teak or rosewood or dried coconut and decorated with new clothes each year before being displayed on the golu. In southern India, bride is presented with 'Marapacchi Bommai' during the wedding by her parents as part of wedding trousseau to initiate the yearly tradition of 'Navaratri golu' in her new home with her husband. <ref name=":0" /> These dolls come as couples dressed in their wedding attire, depicting husband and wife symbolizing prosperity and fertility and the start of the bride's golu collection. Display figurines are passed on from one generation to another as heirloom, and are often several generations old. In the old [[Kingdom of Mysore]], 'Pattada Gombe' is also believed to be a tribute to the kings of the Wodeyar dynasty who ruled of the region for around 600 years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Narayanan |first=Vasudha |title=Nine nights of the goddess: the Navarātri festival in South Asia |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4384-7069-6 |editor-last=Simmons |editor-first=Caleb |series=SUNY series in Hindu studies |location=Albany (N.Y.) |pages=282–289 |chapter=Royal Darbār and domestic kolus: social order, creation, procreation, and re-creation |oclc=1038021861 |editor-last2=Sen |editor-first2=Moumita |editor-last3=Rodrigues |editor-first3=Hillary Peter}}</ref>

In the evenings, women within the neighborhood invite each other to visit their homes to view the golu displays; they also exchange gifts and sweets. A ''Kuthuvilakku'' lamp is lit, in the middle of a decorated [[rangoli]], while devotional hymns and [[shloka]]s are chanted. After performing the [[puja (Hinduism)|puja]], the food items that have been prepared are offered to the Goddess and then to the guests.<ref name="BornetBurger2012p192"/> The first 3 days of the festival are dedicated to [[Durga]], then the next 3 days dedicated to [[Lakshmi]] and finally, the last 3 days are dedicated to [[Saraswati]].

On the 9th day, [[Saraswati Puja]], special pujas are offered to goddess [[Saraswati]]. Books and musical instruments are placed in the puja and worshipped as a source of knowledge.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

The 10th day, [[Vijayadashami]], is regarded by some to be the most auspicious day of all. It was the day Hindus believe the [[asura]] [[Mahishasura]] was finally destroyed by Durga. It is regarded to mark a new and prosperous beginning. Later, on the evening of [[Vijayadashami]], one of the doll from the display is symbolically put to sleep, and the Kalasha is moved a bit towards North to mark the end of that year's Navaratri golu display.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} Prayers are offered to thank deities for the successful completion of that year's Navaratri festival and with hope of a successful one the next year. Then the steps are dismantled and the dolls are packed up for the next year.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}

== History ==
[[File:బొమ్మల కొలువు.JPG|thumb|A Bommala Koluvu dolls display at a Telugu household in the early 1950s.]]
The practice of golu appeared in current day Karnataka, where it is closely associated with the royal Navaratri celebrations under the [[Vijayanagara Empire|Vijayanagara]] monarchy, during which the golu likely appeared, then the [[Nayaka dynasties|Nayakas]] and [[Polygar|Polygars]] states, who spread it in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.<ref name=":0" /> The Navaratri, then called ''Mahanavami'', were state celebrations during which royalty, through numerous secular and religious rituals, renewed its alliances with its [[Vassal|vassals]], established its prestige among its subjects and beyond borders, and legitimized the exercise of its power.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=Leela |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm49276478 |title=South Asian folklore: an encyclopedia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |date=2003 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-0-415-93919-5 |editor-last=Claus |editor-first=Peter J. |location=New York |pages=255 |chapter=Goddesses (Hindu) |oclc=ocm49276478 |editor-last2=Diamond |editor-first2=Sarah |editor-last3=Mills |editor-first3=Margaret Ann}}</ref> For [[Vasudha Narayanan]], it is these very opulent celebrations that influenced the practice of golu in the households of the southern [[Deccan Plateau|Deccan]], where the ordering of society is reproduced, like the ordering of dignitaries and spectators at the [[Durbar (court)|Durbar]] (see the ''Mahanavami Dibba'' at [[Hampi]]).<ref name=":0" />

In some parts of Andhra Pradesh, there is a still followed tradition of displaying a golu also during the celebrations of [[Makar Sankranti|Makara Sankranti]] (in January),<ref name=":0" /> which takes the name {{Transliteration|te|saṅkrānti bommala koluvu}} (సంక్రాంతి బొమ్మల కొలువు) in Telugu. This custom is explained by the fact that Navaratri is a period which occurs four times during the year, one per season, including the Magha Gupta Navaratri (or Winter Navaratri).<ref name=":0" /> In present-day Tamil Nadu, there is also a rare tradition of installing the golu at [[Gokulashtami]] among the [[Khedaval|Khedawals]]. A small community of [[Gujarati people|Gujarati]] [[Brahmin|Brahmins]] who migrated to the region from the 18th century, and adopted local cultural aspects.

Bommala koluvu has become an element of South Indian ethos, especially of the heir states of the Vijayanagara and Nayak era (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh).<ref name=":0" /> The association of Navaratri with the celebration of kingship and power during the Vijayanagara period, resulted in many festivities which are still perpetuated. These related celebrations include the [[Mysore Dasara|Dasara of Mysore]] or the Navaratri of [[Ramnad estate|Ramnad]].

=== Tamil Nadu ===
In Tamil Nadu, the exhibition of golu is an attested practice at the court of the kings of [[Thanjavur Maratha kingdom|Tanjore]] and [[Pudukkottai State|Pudukkottai]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Subramanian |first=Archana |date=2017-09-22 |title=STEPS of wonder |language=en-IN |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=https://www.thehindu.com/children/steps-of-wonder/article19733990.ece |access-date=2023-11-06 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Bhosle |first=Pratap Sinh Serfoji Raje |title=Contributions of Thanjavur Maratha kings |publisher=Notion Press |year=2017 |isbn=9781948230940 |edition=2nd |location=Chennai (Madras) |pages=199 |oclc=1030778138}}</ref> The [[Thanjavur Palace|Tanjore Palace]] golu is said to have featured figurines representing up to 18 different [[Caste|castes]] or social groups.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

However, it was not until the end of the 19th century that golu spread among the commoner population far from the royal courts and their influence. This diffusion occurred independently of these royal courts and regions, from the [[Madras, India|Madrasian]] [[bourgeoisie]] of upper castes background ([[Chettiar|Chettiars]], [[Iyer|Iyers]], [[Iyengar|Iyengars]], etc.), who probably adopted this practice from the [[Kannadigas|Canarese]] and [[Telugu people|Telugu]] communities of the city. As a result, golu has long been associated with the affluent high and upper middle classes people of urban and upper castes.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Nicole A. |title=Nine nights of the goddess: the Navarātri festival in South Asia |publisher=[[State University of New York Press]] |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-4384-7069-6 |editor-last=Simmons |editor-first=Caleb |series=SUNY series in Hindu studies |location=Albany (N.Y.) |pages=237–252 |chapter=Kolus, caste, and class: Navarātri as a site for ritual and social change in urban South India |oclc=1038021861 |editor-last2=Sen |editor-first2=Moumita |editor-last3=Rodrigues |editor-first3=Hillary Peter}}</ref> A socio-cultural marker wrongly presented as exclusive to [[Tamil Brahmin|Tamil Brahmins]] (a certain number of whose households do not have this practice, which is told to be "absent from their habits"<ref name=":3" />), but more adequate when about the Hindu bourgeoisie of 20th century Madras (composed with a significant proportion of Brahmins). Since then, golu has experienced a continuous and even wider diffusion, particularly in line with logic of [[social mobility]] among the urban middle and working classes.<ref name=":3" /> Many major temples in the state organize exhibitions of golus, and many public places and communities now install them.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/on1194959700 |title=Nine nights of power: durgā, dolls, and darbārs |date=2021 |publisher=[[SUNY Press]] |isbn=978-1-4384-8407-5 |editor-last=Hüsken |editor-first=Ute |series=SUNY series in Hindu studies |location=Albany |chapter=Limits of Creativity : ''Kolu'' in Brahmin Vaiṣṇava Households in Kāñchipuram |oclc=on1194959700 |editor-last2=Narayanan |editor-first2=Vasudha |editor-last3=Zotter |editor-first3=Astrid}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Ilkama |first=Ina Marie Lunde |title=Laughter, creativity, and perseverance: female agency in Buddhism and Hinduism |date=2022 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-760372-7 |editor-last=Hüsken |editor-first=Ute |series=AAR religion, culture, and history series |location=New York (N.Y.) |chapter="This is not a Home, it is a Temple" : Creative Agency in Navarattitri Kolu |oclc=1355505646}}</ref> However, golu is still far from being a systematic feature in Tamil Nadu households, with the practice yet to become a part of the habits of many, and more common in some communities households.<ref name=":0" /> A socio-cultural characteristic of golu practice which is not found in Karnataka.<ref name=":0" />

With its modern reintroduction in a context far removed from the monarchy, the practice of Golu took on a purely religious dimension in Tamil Nadu, where Koluvu has no apparent links with royalty, and is rather a miniature reproduction of the world, of the totality, and its consecration to the [[Devi]], from whom protection is sought.

The votive practice of golu among the Hindus of Tamil Nadu is also noteworthy. Many people, who sometimes don't install a golu at home, offer particular figurines or entire sets of golu to temples as [[Votive offering|ex-voto offerings]]. These votive figurines are also installed in domestic golus, following prayers fulfillment.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

== Significance ==
[[File:Siva Dyal Lal - Stall for the Sale of Painted Figures - 1870.jpg|thumb|A [[Pottery|potter]] and a stall for the sale of painted figures. A painting of the [[Patna]] School of [[Company style]], made by Shiva Dayal Lal in 1870.]]
Golu also has a significant connection with the agricultural and handicrafts professions in India. Besides the economic aspect of the festival, it is an important occasion for socializing. During this season relatives and friends in south India make it a point to visit each other's homes. This is also a very important occasion that promotes creative expression for women and for the family to work together on an aesthetic aspect.<ref name="BornetBurger2012p192" /><ref>{{cite book|first=Vasudha|last=Narayanan|editor-first=Knut A.|editor-last=Jacobsen|title=Routledge Handbook of Contemporary India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=--9WCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA342|year=2015|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-40358-6|pages=341–342}}</ref> These days, the golu dolls are made from either [[clay]] or [[paper mache]], with the latter being light in weight. Some dolls also depict various freedom fighters of the [[Indian Independence Movement]] and characters like [[Spider-Man]] and [[Superman]] considering the need to cater to the younger audience. Some people use collapsible steps, which are easy to install.

In relation to the practice of Golu at the Court of Tanjore, there was a royal patronage of arts and crafts, including pottery and clay work, which notably enabled the creation of [[Tanjore doll|Tanjore dolls]] (the best known is the Tanjorean [[nautch]] or dancer lady with bobbling head), which appeared under the reign of [[Serfoji II]] and are today commonly exhibited in golus.<ref name=":2" /> Beyond [[Thanjavur]], the practice of Bommala koluvu has contributed to the creation or preservation of many other forms of traditional and ancient crafts, such as woodworking in [[Kondapalli]] ([[Kondapalli Toys|Kondapalli toys]], known peculiarly for its [[Dashavatara|Dasavatara]] series) and [[Tirupati]] (Tirupati toys) in Andhra Pradesh or [[Channapatna]] ([[Channapatna toys]]) in Karnataka, which are three other localities known for their equally sought-after craftsmanship of wooden figurines and toys to decorate doll courts.<ref name=":1" /> It has also been an excellent outlet for many communities of artisans in southern India, who had more difficulty making a living from their expertise, which was less sought after in an industrialised society. Such as in Vilacheri, on the outskirt of [[Madurai]] in Southern Tamil Nadu, where local potters, who notably made [[terracotta]] horses (''puravi'') for the worship of [[Aiyanar|Ayyanar]], retrained in making koluvu figurines around the 1960s, and have since been recognized in their new field of work.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |last=Jayashree |first=R. |date=2022-09-29 |title=Vilachery dolls: a colourful tradition lives on in Madurai |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/vilachery-dolls-a-colourful-tradition-lives-on-in-madurai/article65952379.ece |access-date=2023-11-08 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> [[Panruti]], in Northern Tamil Nadu, is also an other area renowned for its golu dolls crafting.<ref name=":5" />

In Tamil Nadu, the growth of the practice of Golu also accompanied that of the [[Nativity scene]]. Like the Golu, the practice of the Christmas Crib was for a long time limited to the wealthy social strata of South Indian Christians (especially the [[Catholics]]) and to the churches. With urbanisation and the spread of cultural practices and consumption patterns hitherto restricted to the affluent social classes, demand for Christmas crib figures has risen sharply. This demand is also satisfied by the craftsmen who make Golu figurines.<ref name=":4" />

[[File:Vishnugolu.j.jpg|thumb|Navarathiri golu]]

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="140" heights="180">
File:Golu kalasam in Melbourne Australia 2023.jpg|Golu kalasam in Melbourne Australia 2023
File:Kailasam in Golu Melbourne Australia 2023.jpg|[[Kailasa Mountain|Kailasam]] in Golu Melbourne Australia 2023
File:Golu1.JPG|Navarathri Golu in [[Tamil Nadu]]
File:Navratri Golu.jpg|Navarathri Golu display.
File:Golu Full View.jpg|Display of the ''Navratri Golu'' in seven steps in Tamil Nadu
File:Navratri kolu special.jpg|Navarathri Golu
File:Golu australia 2018.jpg|Display of Navarathri Golu in [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
File:A Tanjore doll.jpg|A dancing Golu doll from Thanjavur
File:Masked shop owner in Melbourne golu 2020.jpg|Trader with mask showing COVID-19 safety in Golu display, Melbourne, Australia
File:Golu in melbourne Australia.jpg|Temple village Golu display in Melbourne, Australia
File:Arupadai Veedu in Golu Australia 01.jpg|[[Six Abodes of Murugan|Arupadai Veedu]] (Six Temples of [[Murugan]]) portrayed in Golu, Melbourne, Australia. From Left:- [[Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Thiruparankundram|Thiruparankundram]], [[Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur|Tiruchendur]], [[Murugan Temple, Pazhamudircholai|Pazhamudircholai]], [[Dhandayuthapani Temple|Palani]], [[Subramaniya Swamy Temple, Tiruttani|Tiruttani]], [[Swamimalai Murugan temple|Swamimalai]].
File:Kalsam in Golu Australia.jpg|Kalasam in Golu, Melbourne, Australia
File:Temple and Village in Golu Australia.jpg|Temple and village in Golu, Melbourne, Australia
File:Kailasa in Golu Australia.jpg|Kailasa in Golu, Melbourne, Australia
File:South Indian wedding in Golu.jpg|South Indian wedding set up in Golu, Melbourne, Australia
File:Shop in golu Australia.jpg|South Indian shop (''potti kadai'' or ''[[Kirana store|kirana]]'') set up in Golu, Melbourne, Australia
</gallery>

==See also==
*[[Navratri|Navaratri]]
*[[Vijayadashami]]
*[[Hinamatsuri]]
*[[Marapachi Dolls]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{commons category-inline}}
*[http://casualwalker.com/navarathri-kolu-dolls-street-shop-trail-north-mada-street-mylapore-chennai Navarathri golu / golu Dolls Showcase and Display - Photos]

[[Category:Hindu festivals]]
[[Category:Tamil festivals]]
[[Category:Religious festivals in India]]
[[Category:September]]
[[Category:October]]

Golu (festival) - Revision history

Singh142536: starting some entry basic info!