Priest family keeps 250-year-old doll show tradition alive in Mysuru

Mysuru: Palace priest Srihari Dixith has transformed his home "Aasare" at Giridarshini layout in Mysuru into "Gombe Mane" (doll house) like every year. This year he has come up with miniature doll of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa wearing a mask, while performing Nandi dwaja pooja to launch Dasara jumbo savari procession in his Dasara doll show. The main theme is the Covid-19 pandemic, the scourge that is haunting the world. To highlight the importance of physical distance to stay off the virus, the priest has placed dolls at a distance from one another; the simple Dasara is also depicted through a few cultural troupes.

The tradition of doll show followed by his past three generations for 250 years is being carried on by Mr Srihari, who chooses some current topic as the theme of his doll show every year.

The fourth generation priest at Trinayaneswara temple at Mysuru Palace premises, Srihari and his wife Geetha Srihari have a huge collection of over 5,000 dolls including at least 300 which are more than 100 years old. Their collection also boasts of a dozen "Pattada gombes" (Pattada Raja and Rani) passed down from three generations of their ancestors. They have collected dolls from across the country including Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and others, and several places from Karnataka. They used to spread the dolls in two floors every year, and usually a lot of people flocked to see the unique display during Dasara. Yet the show doesn't lack grandeur and gaiety with over 2,000 dolls spread in one floor of the house.

The couple have arranged dolls on nine rows, depicting traditional themes such as Ashtalakshmi, Dashavathara, Ramayana, Mahabharatha, life of Lord Krishna, festivals, traditions and others. And among dolls they have spread in one floor of their home, they have depicted Dasara jumbo savari of bygone royal era too in which Maharaja sat in golden howdah carried by an elephant. They have recreated Chamundi hills, Govardhana hills. They have depicted the theme of "Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshithaha" by displaying the dolls of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. And their decoration of dolls in the form of Srividya, Bala Tripura Sundari, Kaama Kameswari is unique. What stands out among the show are "pattada gombes" (pattada raja and rani) dressed in ethnic attires of different parts of the country.

Mr Srihari said that the doll show tradition in Mysuru is the sign of one of patronages extended by the then Maharajas of Mysuru to encourage handicraft artists and cottage industries, like they encouraged several other forms of art including dance, music and others. "Doll show is an opportunity to educate our youth about mythology, tradition, festivals, culture, values and others. While "pattada raja" and "pattada rani" (king and queen dolls) are gifted to newly married couple during wedding, some couple begin doll show tradition at their homes with these new pattada gombes, he said.

"My son Tejonidhi who is in second-year PUC, daughter Aishwarya who has completed her BDS (Bachelor of Dental Science), have joined us in coming up with the doll show," the priest said.