Bombe Mane, a journey into the world of dolls, is back in Mysuru and the 17th edition of the annual exhibition showcases exclusive pieces representative of the quaint rituals of Mysore Dasara festivities. Exquisitely hand-crafted dolls by master artisans are on display at Bombe Mane, which is underway at Nazarabad.
The collection is a reflection of the city’s cultural, social and religious heritage. Along with the exclusive dolls, Bombe Mane has a huge collection of nearly 5,000 dolls representing different facets of the country’s cultural heritage.
Ramsons Kala Pratishtana (RKP), which has organised the exhibition, has commissioned Channapatna dolls by giving its special designs of peg dolls which depict the Kodanda Rama set, the divine pairs of Radha Krishna, Brahma Saraswati, Shiva Parvati and Lakshmi Narayana. The dioramas of Rama and his entourage flying in the Pushpaka Vimana, Kumbhakarna fighting in the battle, Navarasa, Surya Namaskara, and Shravana Kumara taking his parents on a pilgrimage are among the creations at this year’s expo.
The dolls of Mysore Chamundeshwari, Dharmasthala Manjunatha, Horanadu Annapoorneshwari, Kolluru Mookambika, Tulaja Bhavani and many more are new additions this year, the organisers said.
This edition of Bombe Mane, a press release said, is featuring the Vittala Varkari tradition in which devotees walk from their hometowns to Pandharpur twice a year - once on Ashadha Ekadashi and once again on Kartika Ekadashi - carrying saffron flags, tulasi pots, tiny cymbals and mridanga and singing bhajans in praise of Lord Vittala.
A major milestone this year is the 75th anniversary of Independence. Colourful heritage prints and calendar prints depicting various important events leading up to the occasion along with the stalwarts of that time have been displayed in the second special section.
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The third special display features a miniature model of Mysore City Corporation building which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and of the DC Office building at Gordon Park, which is observing its 125th anniversary. A model of St. Philomena’s Cathedral is also displayed.
