INTRO

I am happy to share my golu for the contest.

I see many have displayed chandrayan 3, world cup and many other creative themes here.

India won the world cup! India launched Rocket to the Moon! India's chandrayan 3 landed safely.

The rocket and world cup may be from this world. But neither India nor the moon was man-made. It belongs to all and was created by someone or somebody whom we describe as the Eternity - GOD.

This year, our main Kolu consists of all Gods. Since we're residing at Nanganallur near the Narasimhar temple, we start with Laksmi Narasimhar, old Lakshmi doll which is 100 years old and has seen 4 generations, Thiruvallur Veeraraghavar (our Kula deivam), Tirupati Srinivasar (my mamiyar's maternal house and my paternal house Kula deivam), Kumbakonam Oppiliappan (My maternal side Kuladeivam as well as I was named Bhooma, after the nachiyar of this temple during my puberty), etc.

It is said that the Lakshmi Narasimhar and Hayagreevar on the top step was bought by husband during his college days for just Rs. 500/- each from the Kanchipuram Bommakara Street, which is famous in making golu dolls. It is around 20 inches and now, it may cost around Rs. 4500/- each. There is another story behind the Andal on the top step of the Golu. My husband bought it a year before our marriage and my mother in law used to say that, because of that lucky Andal, he got married to me. 😯 To be honest, that Andal has blessed me with such a lovely mother in law.

We also have kept Kal Garudan Vanjullavalli thayar, who is my namesake during my wedding Jadhagaranam, Namakaranam. I have been named as Vanjulavalli during my wedding. The Golu also consist of Namakkal Narasimhar and Namagiri thayar, Sholinghur Narasimhar, Badrachalam Ramar, Ayodhya Ram Lalla, Chakkarathaazhvaar, Chellappillai, Ramar Parivaram, Dasavatharam, Narasimhar avatharam and Hiranya Vadham, Garuda sevai, etc.

I have to specifically mention the entire Garuda sevai set which was bought by my hubby's grand mother when he was in UKG. So, the set is now only 33 years old. Just 2 years elder than me. Haha.. 😅🤣 the feel when a girl comes to know that she is younger than someone or something... 👌👍🤸‍♀️ No wonder we dress up much.. 👸👸

And, any guess how much it costed?💰💰 Well, it consists of 15 to 20 clay dolls of 3 inches each, 1 Elephant, 1 Horse and a Big Garuda Sevai Doll. So, now guess.. How much could it have been costed before 33 years?

500? Wrong...😔
350? Wrong...🤨
400? Wrong...😡
It was just 250/-.😯

Can we get atleast one small doll for 250 these days? I think yes. A tiny one, maybe.

And... the major part comes here. My husband was born and bought up in Kanchipuram. So, he loves Varadharaja perumal a lot.
So, we got this 11 dolls Brahmotsavam of Kanchipuram set. You should've seen how much my husband was willing to pay for it and how I bargained and reduced the price from 18k to 11k. The look on his face when I bargained... Priceless 🤣😅

This year's new inclusion is the Nachiyar thirukkolam or the Mohini Avatharam of 9 temples. In the Sri Vaishnava temples, during the annual brammotsavam which is celebrated for 10 days, the 5th day is dedicated for Nachiyar thirukkolam. The urchava vigraham of the perumal (Sri Vishnu) is dressed up like the Nachiyar or Mohini (Sri Mahalakshmi or the Thayar of that temple) using the jewels, kili (parrot), sarees of the consort deity of that particular temple. It is famous in all the Sri Vaishnava sthalams and the south Tamil Nadu has a culture of using veena instrument instead of kili (parot) or lotus.

So, owing to Sri Vaishnava Samprathayam and Guru Parampara Prabhavam, we have kept the secondary golu consisting of the Brammotsavam in the first step, Nachiyar thirukkolam in the second step and Azhwaars, Ramanujar, Srimad Vedantha Desikar and our guru of Srirangam Srimad Poundarikapuram Andavan Asramam Sri Gopaladesika Mahadesikan swami performing Mangalasasanam (worshiping and singing hymes on the gods) in the third step.

After the Athi Varadar Vaibhavam at 2019, my husband made a 2 Feet Athi Varadar carved out of the real Athi Maram (Fig Tree). The facial features were real look alike. Just as the event happened in Kanchipuram with 2 Kolams, Sayana Thirukkolam and Nindra Thirukkolam, we, in our house, also have this Athi Varadar in Sayana Thirukkolam during the first 4 days of the Kolu and Nindra Thirukkolam during the 5th to 8th day of the Kolu. During the last day, resembling the historical meet of Athi Varadar and the utsavar Varadaraja Perumal of Kanchipuram, we, in our house create a similar scene.

We have a kutty panchaloka vigraham of Varadaraja Perumal Utsavar. Similar to the navarathri utsavam in Kanchipuram, the vigraham is kept in a Oonjal (swing) and a different alankaram is done every day for them (Kalinga narthanam, sikku thadai, thopparam, paandiyan kondai, etc.) Also, on the last day of the Navarathri (the day before the Saraswathi Pooja or Vijayadasami) we recreate the most iconic Serthi Event and Piriyavidai of Athi Varadar and Varadaraja Perumal Utsavar as it happened in 2019. And on the Saraswathi Pooja or Vijayadasami, the god idols are donned with White dresses, using white flower and white jewels which is famously called as Vellai Sathupadi (white alankaram) in the Kanchipuram.

We also mix and match (not bought as set) the Sri Krishna Leela depicting the life of Lord Sri Krishna. We're proud that we have the most beautiful Boothagi, the demon who dressed up as a beautiful lady to breast feed Lord Sri Krishna and died in his hands.

That concludes about the dolls. But Golu is not just about the dolls right? There is much more. Starting from the arrangements, decorations, bargaining and buying new dolls, considering various visiters selecting return gifts for the accordingly, giving thamboolam to sumangalis, sundal, puttu, finally poojai, packing all the dolls backs and till settling them in their usual loft, ooooff... 😓🤧🤷‍♀️

Adding all the additional stuffs would make this write up, which has already become an essay to build up like a novel. Like Ponniyin Selvan 5 parts novel, 2 parts movie, if someone wants to write about Golu novel, then mine would be the first to get published and it would come around 8 Volumes... Volume Voluma kadhai sollalam.