INTRO

Navaratri Greetings to all.

I have been keeping Navaratri Golu for 9 days for the last 30 years. I keep 7 steps. As per our family tradition on the 1st step we Keep a pot of Gangajal (Kumbham) on which we keep a small idol of Ganapathi & Goddess Annapurna. Then we adorn every step with different Goddess.

I decorate the traditional Marapachhi Couples as different God and Goddess every year. This year I have decorated them as Lord Venkateshwara and Goddess Alamelumanga

My theme for this year "STREE" (WOMAN)
S - She
T- Triumphs (Through)
R - Respect,
E - Equality
E - Enpowernment.

I have depicted Stree - Power of Women through depicting different aspects of Stree(Woman) in different State through dolls handmade by me as detailed below.

1. Goddess Mahalaxmi of Maharastra represents Stree as Aishwaryam - Wealth.
2. Garbha Dance of Gujarat represents
Stree as Anandam - Ecstacy.
3. Dhunuchi Naach of Bengal represents Stree as Shakthi - Energy
4. Childbirth in Rajasthan represents Stree as Shrushti - Creator
5. Wedding of Sreedevi & Bhoodevi with Lord Srinivasa in Andhra Pradesh represents Stree as Sowbhagyam - Good Luck.
6. A Wedding in Karnataka represents Stree as Subham - Auspicious
7. Sister Subhadra with Lord Jagannath & Balabhara in Orissa represents Stree as Bandhanam - Bonding
8. Goddess Saraswathi in Kashmir represents Stree as Vidya - Knowledge
9. Suhasini Kanya Pooja in Tamil Nadu represent Stree as Daivam - Divine

I have also created a green zone with Village and rural artisans to communicate;
- Save Greenery to save environment.
- Support Village to boost Country's economy.
- Support rural artisans to save art & culture.

I add to Navaratri festivities by inviting about 100 plus Women for Manjal Kumkumam at my home. This year morethan 108 Women have already visited my Navaratri Golu.

Please enjoy my Golu. Please also like and comment on my Golu.

Regards
Rekha Radhakrishnan

Golu gives us positive vibes!!
Especially our kalyana set and Himalaya sivan blessings.
Mainly our 18 PADI karupasamy !strong vibe!!

The first step is dedicated to the supreme God and goddess like Vinayagar, Goddess Lakshmi, Durga, Saraswathi, Lord Venkateswara, Lord Shiva.
The Dasavathaaram, Ashtalakshmi sets are arranged in the second and third steps of the padi.
The fourth step dedicated to 18 Siddhars.
The fifth step dedicated to mahaans.
The sixth step dedicated to animals, birds.
The seventh step dedicated to flowers.

This Year Golu Theme is Mylapore Village before 100 years, where Peoples are using Buckingham Canal for water, Mylapore Karpagambal Temple set up and Entire Mylapore . Also, Before Independence of 19th Century we followed Green parks, Evolution at Chennai City with Cultivation ,Agriculture were performed in Mylapore which no body knows and imagine as of now.

Ramayana theme, mysore dasara, krishna theme and golden theme

Theme: Skanda Puranam/Kanda Puranam
About our Golu 2024:
This year we have portrayed Skanda Puranam, starting with the rise of Surapadman, birth of Lord Muruga, Kailasa parvatham/Mangani , the puranams/stories of 6 Arupadai Veedus, modern day temples of Lord Karthikeya. The piece de resistance are a working model of the story about the mangani/golden mango and a scene from Soorasamharam.
There are around 8-9 mountains in this year's Golu that were created by hand at home to celebrate Lord Subrahmanya, lord of Kurinji/lush mountainous regions.
Mangani story: We have elaborated this story with Ganesha going around Shiva-Parvati in Mt.Kailasa and Lord Kartikeya flying around the world.
Soorasamharam: 4 ft tall mannequins decorated as Lord Muruga and the ferocious Sooran are the highlight of our Golu
Temples of Lord Muruga - Apart from the Arupadai veedu stories, we have highlighted modern day Pazhani, Kukke Subrahmanya, Marudamalai, Pathumadai Murugan/Malaysia Murugan, Kartik Swamy temple Rudraprayag with activites like mottai/kathukuthal, kavadi, thai poosam, Ther/Chariot etc
In our 9 step 10 feet tall Golu Padi, we have Durga/Lakshmi/Saraswati and Devi swaroopams, Avatarams, Saints, Grocery stores, weddings etc. Also celebrated is the Indian Chess team playing/winning in the Chess Olympiad 2024.
Here are a few pictures of the Golu and a short highlight video. More pictures as well as a longer video with narration of the different aspects of the Golu/puranam is present in the google photos link below
Thank you.

Please come see our Golu! 😊❤️

Every Golu has a story to tell and every doll has a legacy to share. This year, our Golu displays the love and dedication shared amongst our families and the dolls portray the legacy that's been passed on to the generations.

The Golu I've always been amazed with my eyes wide open is Serangulam Mythili Maami's Golu (Sarathi Uncle's mom). Growing up I used to think to myself, if I have Golu I should do something like Mythili maami. The dedication and love that was displayed in Mythili Maami's Golu every year was truly unmatchable to the extent that it formed part of my core memory. And to my luck, I got married to the guy who had the same astonishment looking at such Golus.

So this year, Ranjan Vijayaraghavan and I wanted to honor such core memories of ours by creating an authentic experience. And here we are with this temple themed Golu, which displays all our loved ones sweat and love.

When we finished setting up the Golu our daughter Nithila said, 'Wow this is amazing, I'm very excited' - it made all the effort totally worth it. She even made something on her own to display in the Golu.

So here we are, the entire family of Vassu, Ranjan, & Nithila together presenting our Golu to seek everyone's blessings and love.

We are very thankful to everyone who can grace their presence (in person and virtually) and make the Golu special for us.

எல்லாரும் கொலுக்கு வாங்கோ! 😊🙏🏻

I grew up seeing my grand mother and mom keep Golu. My grand mom used to make idols, musical instruments and other dolls to keep in golu out of thermocol, Pearls, Beads etc from her collection I have kept Veena and Lord Shiva in my golu. For this year golu, I chose moral stories as the main theme. I have kept the following stories:
1. Jnanapazham story
2. Grandma, crow, fox and Vada story
3. Pittuku man sumantha Sivan story
4. Lion and the mouse story
5. Manuneedhi Chozhan story
6. Failure and success in life using Tanjore dolls story
7. Sutta pazham and sudadha panham story
8. Crow drinking water from half pitcher story.

I have also kept Ram Lalla with Ayodhya temple built by me using cardboard and clay.

This year, as the festival of Golu approached, our home came alive with vibrant colors and tradition. The steps, waiting to be filled with the idols, became the heart of the preparations. Arranging them wasn’t just about placing them on the steps, it was like solving a delicate puzzle, where each piece had to find its perfect place.

We began by setting the theme. On the left, we carefully grouped the different stages of Krishna, each idol telling its own part of the story. As we moved on, our hands gently placed a handmade Lakshmi draped in a beautiful pink saree, gracefully seated on a lotus. Her presence added a sense of elegance and peace.

Finally, the five steps stood complete, showcasing our collection of idols over the years, each one thoughtfully placed to represent something meaningful. Every step seemed to hold a part of the festival’s spirit, connecting tradition with simplicity.

Our idea had come to life, bright yet traditional, and with every step, a story unfolded.

SARALA SANTHANA KRISHNAN GOLU 2024

Namaskaram All,
I am Sarala Santhanakrishnan, from Korattur Subbulakshmi Nagar. We are happy to participate Golu contest 2024. This is our 28th year of Navaratri Golu.
Ours is a 2 Room Golu with display of Dolls & Themes which depict various Hindu puranas and mythologies.
We have also kept a separate Golu padi in our balcony solely for Ceramic dolls.
We have kept Golu covering the whole living room, Grouping the dolls into ‘Vaishnavas’ & ‘Shaiva’s’.
The main theme of our Golu 2024 is, “Current living style – Which is both a boon and bane for our society”
Other main highlights of our Golu are as follows:

• Muruganin Aupadai Veedu
• Gadothgajan Set
• Meenakshi Sundareshwara Kalyanam
• Pradhosam Shivan in Bull Vaganam
• Guberar Set, Chettiyar Maligai Kadai set
• Nadhaswaram Vithvangal
• Marriage & Babyshower Set
• Padi – Thiruvallidayam Temple
• Vandalur Zoo : Conservation of Nature
• City View - Padi Flyover & Anna Nagar
• Ashtalakshmi Set
• Dasavatharam Set
• Hand made Amman saree doll.
• Jesus birth kudil display.
• Puri Jagannath Dolls
• Dancing Dolls with Kathakali
• Saibaba Collections
• Kailash Mountains with Shiva family
• Vinayagar Collection
• Krishna, Gopiyar Collections
• Great leaders’ collection
• Dinosaurs land
Illustration of Village & City Life – Current lifestyle Boon or Bane:
We have displayed how life has changed now compared to Earlier times, with ancient collection of Dolls aging almost 40+yrs, like the Air India Maharaja Mascot which was introduced in 1946.
How Urbanization has changed our lifestyle -Going back to earlier practices & the emotions we miss nowadays, culture changes due to westernization, Joint families growing rare due to people prioritizing personal space more.
We have kept various Herbal plants with Medicinal value in our garden & have placed pluck cards with their botanical names & uses.
We have displayed a large collection of coins, ranging from 13th century up to foreign currency. Since my husband is a big electronic junkie, we have a collection of old electronic gadgets since 25years.
Also, we have received various awards & recognition for our Navaratri Golu from Hamam& Dinakaran, Dinamalar, Dinamani,Times of India, Dolls planet,ATM Golu , Giri Traders – Recognized Cultural Ambassador ,Sapthavarna, RMKV silks, Punchmittai YouTube channel, Hindu Downtown Golu,Kala master golu contest, Eagle Mobiles, Etc..
Thankyou.


Regards.
Mrs,Sarala Santhanakrishnan.
bsksanthanam@gmail.com