Bengaluru: In a unique take on tradition, students of The Green School Bangalore (TGSB) are preparing for this year’s Navratri Gombegalu display with handcrafted dolls made entirely from rags, discarded clothes, and other upcycled materials.

The annual Gombegalu, or doll arrangement, is an integral part of Navratri celebrations in southern India. While the display usually features clay or store-bought figurines, students have chosen to reinvent the practice by blending sustainability with creativity.

Working in groups, the children have been shaping dolls and puppets out of fabric scraps, leftover cotton, and old clothes collected from households. Some have used damaged crockery such as teacups to create puppets with handles, while others have repurposed coconut shells, plastic bottles, and even newspaper twine to bring their imaginative ideas to life.

“Our theme this year is inspired by puppets. The students are handcrafting figurines using everyday discarded materials, turning waste into art,” explained Usha Iyer, Principal of The Green School Bangalore. “This project is as much about cultural celebration as it is about teaching the value of recycling and sustainability.” Students say the exercise has given them a different perspective on how festivals are celebrated. “During festivals, we often use so many decorative items and plastics that end up as waste. This time, by recycling fabrics and old materials, we learned that sustainability and celebration can go together,” said Dinesh Chetry, a Class 5 student who helped craft the fabric dolls.

According to environmental reports, India generates vast quantities of textile waste annually, a significant portion of which comes from household discards and the garment industry. Initiatives such as this one not only highlight the urgency of rethinking waste but also provide students with hands-on experience in responsible consumption.

The Gombegalu project has also become a lesson in teamwork and innovation, encouraging students to blend traditional art forms with modern concerns about the environment. By transforming discarded objects into festival decorations, the young participants are sending out a message that creativity can be both joyful and sustainable.

For the children, the experience has been more than just a school activity—it is a reminder that cultural traditions can evolve in ways that are kinder to the planet.