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Each toy has a story to tell
Each toy has a story to tell. Come Sankranti and we see hordes of sweets (pongal), colourful kites, vibrant rangolis and the lovely tradition of ‘BommalaKoluvu’, which is toys and us, not Toys or Us!
The impressive ‘BommalaKoluvu’ at Ravindrabharati on January 14 and 15, showcasing an array of toys, some as old as 150 years, narrates story of sheer love for toys and the need to preserve them
Come Sankranti and we see hordes of sweets (pongal), colourful kites, vibrant rangolis and the lovely tradition of ‘BommalaKoluvu’, which is toys and us, not Toys or Us!
The array of toys showcased at a beautifully laid ‘BommalaKoluvu’ at Ravindra Bharathi showcased centuries old dolls and toys, all passed on in ‘parampara’, either from the mother to the daughter or mother-in-law to daughter-in-law.
Needless to say if the vivacious colours caught the eye, thematic representation of toys won the hearts! There wasn’t a single eye-brow that didn’t raise at that vast collection of toys, which were brought in with utmost care by ‘trunkupettelu’, or the typical antique trunks, which literally provided a strong foundation for the ‘koluvu’. Starting from the ‘centrespread’ of the toys on 7 steps (usually any odd number-3 and above) to the surrounding themes like ‘Srinivasa Kalyanam’, Jesus Christ’s birth, ‘Tiruppavai’, ‘VivahaBhojanam’, ‘Swami Vivekananda’, ‘Krishna Leela’ and a modern aerodrome, all looked complete by themselves, at the same time in sync with their colourful counterparts!
Achyuta who is one of the passionate women behind this spectacle and has acquired the responsibility as a tradition says it’s because of the passion that’s being transmitted over generations that she was able to easily pass it on to her daughter as well as her daughter in law, who take part in this event with great enthusiasm ever year. To top it all, the septuagenarian host Potapragada Seethamahalakshmi’s (Achyuta’s maternal grandmother) passionate commentary as she ushered in the guests was the highlight. Showing the 150 year-old ‘Pandiri Mancham’ she says her maternal grandmother passed it on to her which she treasures and puts it up for every Sankranti, without fail. These toys not only revive the joyous moments they have had but strengthen the ties with the elderly, she says.
Kudos to the AP Cultural Department who encouraged this ‘BommalaKoluvu’ that turned even elders into kids, who went about shuffling excitedly through the lovely antique-modern collection. As Rallabandi Kavita Prasad, Director, Department of Culture rightly said, these ‘BommalaKoluvus’ are like knowledge centres, each having an interesting story to tell!
- Sailajakumar
