Navrathri also known as Dusshera is a popular festival celebrated all over India for nine nights and 10 days. It is customary in some families in South India to display a golu during Navrathri. Golu is a display of dolls on odd number of steps depicting Hindu mythology. Marapatchi bommai(male and female doll made from marapatchi wood) is a must in a golu. Women and children are invited to see the golu. Women come in traditional silk sarees and girls in their silk skirts adorned with their best jewelry. Some women and children show their vocal talent singing devotional songs. Everyone who comes is given something to take home that will include a prasadam made of lentils with seasoning and may also carry home a small bag of gift which may include a fruit, kumkum, manjal, vethallai, pak and a small gift.
Please come over and see my golu. Hope you enjoy my golu as much as I did creating it. Happy Navrathri to you!
KOLAM IN FRONT OF THE MAIN DOOR
Rice soaked in water for an hour and then ground smoothly was used to draw the kolam.
FLOWER KOLAM 
Flowers from my garden were used to create this kolam at the bottom of my golu.
GOLU 2008
Full view of the golu.
CHETTIAR BOMMAI 
Marapatchi bommai are the second set of couple from the left in wood that looks black. The sacks were handmade out of burlap and filled with various grains that is typical in a grain merchant store.
MY GANESH COLLECTION 
The idols of Ganesh displayed here are each made of a different material. Starting from the left,terra cota, Navadaniam(9 different grains), sandalwood, clay, marble, wood and metal.
TEMPLE SCENE
You can see a couple selling flowers in baskets to offer to god.
TRIPLICANE PARTHASARATHY TEMPLE
“The Twleve Alwars”
TEMPLE ON THE HILL
The hill was made with paper and glue (paper mache) and the temple with wood.
VILLAGE SCENE
The wooden dolls in this village are from Kondapalli, Andhra Pradesh. The straw hut and the stick hut were resued from a different project here.
FUN PARK WITH PARKING LOT
The popcorn and fruit vendors and the fence were handmade with cardboard and paint.
ZOO SCENE
The zoo was created using layers to give some depth due to the space restriction. The first layer starting from the back was the fence with gate drawn on paper. The second layer the tree created with paper. The third layer was the tiger den where the rocks and entrance to the den was also hand drawn and colored. The tiger was placed and then real rocks were added in the front of the tiger. To the left was the gorilla area where the tree was again created with paper and soil was added to the ground. The fourth layer were the elephants on the left and the zebra and giraffe on the right. I used reindeer moss and felt on the ground. The final layer that you can see in the front was the water body which was created using rolled up vellum paper with handdrawn and cut fish, greenary and frogs with a pink flamingo in the back.
CHARMINAR BAZAAR SCENE
The fruit vendors were made with clay and then painted. The clothes stand with hangers were made with wire. All the other shops were also handmade.
Thanks for visiting my humble home to see my golu.
