Grand Golu celebrations go up a notch in Chennai

If there is a word to describe Chennaiites during Navaratri, it would be ‘creative’. Ideas begin to float even before the Golu padis come out, people take dolls out of the loft, or the streets fill with new entrants of the season. For some, ideation begins at the end of one Navaratri; others they sit together and chalk out a plan with their families a month in advance — themes are discussed, images are printed, and cardboards are kept ready to assemble. This year, from steps that spell out Ramayana in a sequence and silver Golu to animated ones that depict several fables and even one attempting a record for being the tallest, the city is vibrant with a festive spirit.

Educating kids about the culture through Navaratri celebrations is Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan (PSBB) in T Nagar. Their thematic celebration called ‘Goluvil Ganitham – The Sacred Stories Behind Numbers’, beautifully weaves the magic of numbers with the richness of Indian tradition, mythology, and spirituality. “Our school has always been celebrating every festival meaningfully so that the students are not just confined within the classrooms and acquiring knowledge from the textbooks, but actually experiencing it themselves and learning,” says Sheela Rajendra, dean and director, and the correspondent of the PSBB Group of Schools. Teachers, students, and parents came together to create a display that not only celebrates tradition and culture but also encourages students to connect their classroom learning to real-life experiences. Sheela adds, “All kids, generally, dread math. So, making it fascinating, and seeing that numbers are everywhere, even in our celebration and tradition, will help them to interpret so many things and connect the numbers.” Citing an example, she says, “The number 8 is usually associated with Astalakshmi, but this time we have kept Ashtavinayagar. Another is Aiyappa’s 18 steps. Each of the steps is interpreted and connected to what 18 signifies in various cultures, globally.”

To captivate the magic of this whimsical festival, Challani House of Silver has organised a unique Golu made of silver and gold. This exhibit features an entire array of Hindu gods in their resplendent glory, accompanied by a colossal collection of kalasams and vilakkus, divine series like Dasavatharam, Krishna Ras Leela, Lords Murugan’s six heavenly abodes, tulsi maadam, peacocks, elephants, and other animals, all made of pure silver. Delicate kitchen sets, household items, vehicles, dolls, and much more are on display for the delight of the visitors. The lavish silver décor is accompanied by bhajans, light music, and refreshments for the guests. Adding more hue to the event are the kili and eli josiyam. Witness this royal celebration, filled with traditional flair, and invoke the blessings of Goddess Durga till October 20th, between 4 pm and 9 pm.

Golu has always been a family affair. Elders of the family arrange the dolls and narrate stories from epics and puranas, or showcase creative themes. A family in Mylapore, for the last 35 years, has been coming together to set up the traditional Golu at Sri Krishna Saras Hall in Mylapore. The display is themed on the Ramayana — from Rama’s birth to his coronation — Krishna Leela from Krishna’s birth to episodes of Boodagi (a demon who was sent to kill Krishna), Malyutham (the famous wrestling match at Mathura), and a seven-year-old Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain, and Arupadai Veedu (six sacred abodes of Lord Muruga). Vasanthi Pasupathi, Rama Narasiman, and Banumathi bring these displays alive along with the traditional nine steps. “We have been sourcing these dolls for more than 30 years now. Each year we add a new one to the collection. While most dolls are made of clay, some are also papier-mâché,” shares Rama. They continue to source dolls from various neighbourhoods in Chennai. “If we are unable to find a good doll, we hire a carpenter and make them,” she adds. The Ramayana, Krishna Leela, and Arupadi Veedu thematic Golu is open to the public before noon and between 4 pm and 8 pm.

E Kishore and K Vathsala have been setting up traditional Golu for 60 years. Their setup includes dolls that have been around for decades. Despite wrapping them over vaikol (paddy straw), cotton cloth, and newspaper, the dolls started fading. Hence, this year, the family hired a painter. “We did not want to change the colour of the doll. So, we painted a coat of previous existing colour, maybe a shade darker or lighter,” the couple says. “We did not follow any theme this year; we just went with a traditional approach to set the Golu,” they say, highlighting the simplicity of tradition.

What is traditionally a home-centred celebration of devotion and storytelling has taken on a monumental scale at SPR City, Perambur, where 3,703 dolls come together in a 47.8-foot Golu display. Conceived to introduce the township and its cultural initiatives to a wider city audience, the debut celebration has sourced its bommais from artisans across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, depicting gods, goddesses, and village deities such as Ayyanar and Karuppasamy. “The idea emerged from their Vertical Agraharam initiative,” says Prakash Mohanasundaram, vice president and revenue head for residential. “We wanted something where the entire city can see what SPR is all about. We also have a very strong cultural quotient, so we wanted to honour one of our longstanding traditions and cultures.” On attempting a world record, he says, “We have the tallest towers in Chennai, and we have the largest mall in India. So we thought, we can add one more superlative to SPR.” The Golu has drawn 2,000+ visitors so far.

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