The 19th edition of Bombe Mane opened its doors exactly a month before the Navaratri festival.
This year, Bombe Mane, which gives a peek into the innocent world of dolls, has an even larger collection of dolls spread across four floors. Clay dolls from Tamil Nadu form a bulk of the collection. However, the Ganges clay dolls from West Bengal steal the show with their compact size, exquisite detailing and painting technique.
The Bombe Mane was inaugurated on Friday, September 15, at Ramsons’ Bombe Mane on Nazarbad Main Road. The exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. all through the year.
This festive season, terracotta lamps, dolls, planters, decorative bells in varied shapes and sizes are all set to enliven homes. The G.I. (Geographic Index) tagged paper mache dancing dolls of Tirukannur, Puducherry will grab the doll enthusiasts’ attention by their sheer size and bright colours.
The PoP dolls of Kolhapur mimic the fine finish of porcelain at an affordable price. The wooden dolls from Varanasi, Channapatna, Kinhala, Kondapalli, Bobbili, Etikoppaka and Mysuru are much sought after by doll lovers from overseas as they are convenient to carry personally, a note from the organisers said.
This year, Bombe Mane has a wide array of costume dolls from Murshidabad; the finely crafted dolls sport a variety of textiles and jewellery styles from across India.
Special Display Sections
The highlight of this year’s special display is the annual Ratha Yatra of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra held in the coastal town of Puri. Miniature replicas of the three massive chariots have been crafted by skilled craftsmen from Bhubaneshwar. The birds, animals and fishes made of wood in folk style paintings, witnessing the Rathayatra, have been made by a team of artists from Raghurajpur, according to Bombe Mane promoters.
The main display consists of three scale models of the vimana (decorative altars) where idols from Jagannath temple are worshipped before being returned to the sanctum sanctorum. The wood work has been executed by traditional chariot builders associated with the Puri temple. The fine applique work matching the vimana, the associated paraphernalia and canopy covers are handwork of skilled applique workers of Pipli. Four special shringars (seasonal decorations on the deities on particular special occasions) have been recreated in miniature.
Award winning Chitrakars practicing the patachitra art have added content to the diorama through their paintings which are on display, the release said.
The year 2023 marks the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj as Chatrapati who founded the mighty Maratha empire which was in the forefront defending the Hindu faith and religious practices. A diorama depicting the coronation of Shivaji is on display. Also on display is a section paying tribute to the Rathore princess Mirabai who was an epitome of unalloyed devotion to her chosen deity Krishna — this year marks the 525th year of her birth.
Thus, Bombe Mane is ready with new dolls and new concepts.
