Mangalore Dasara doll exhibition inaugurated

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Oct 20, 2012 : Part of the Mysore Dasara culture has become an important part of the Mangalore Dasara, and that is the splendid collection of dasara dolls by Nammavara Sangha of Mangalore at Shri Raghavendra Swami Mutt near Car Street. The exhibition was inaugurated jointly by M. R. Vasudeva, director of the Mangalore International Airport, and Raghavendra Shasthri of Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple.

 

 

 

 

 

Nammavara Sangha is an association launched by the Brahmins who migrated to Mangalore from the regions of old Mysore in search of jobs, education, and better opportunities. Dasara is celebrated by displaying dolls in houses and offering puja to them in the regions of old Mysore such as Mysore, Bangalore, Mandya, Kolar, Chikmagalur, Tumkur, Chamarajnagar, Chitradurga, and Bellary. It is a 500 year old tradition, which has its roots in the Vijayanagar dynasty and was later continued by the Wodeyars of Mysore.

Nammavara Sangha General Secretary M. S. Gururaj said that the mode of worship in old Mysore is different from that of the coastal region. Speaking about the doll exhibition, he said that its purpose is to introduce the culture of old Mysore to the people of Mangalore. Further, he said that the association has been exhibiting dolls for the past 5 years and every year, the exhibition is based on different themes. This year’s theme is Mantralayam, he added.

Seventy-five percent of the around 800 dolls at the exhibition belong to the association and the others were contributed by its members. The Nammavara Sangha has members from around 125 Brahmin families.

On display are dolls such as Dashavathara, Astalaxmi, Krishna Leela, Narasimha, Krishna, and Vaikunta. They are displayed in nine levels, and the first level comprises Pattada Gombe, a collection of dolls gifted to the bride by her parents on her wedding day.

The doll exhibition depicts the Dasara culture and celebration, and the public can view dolls depicting the royal family, soldiers, palace, Jumbo Savari, and others, along with rural life, rural games, and so on. The highlight of this year’s exhibition is a model of the Raghavendra Temple.

The public can view this display till Oct 24.