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Fascinating array of toys, idols

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

A girl stands in front of the ‘Bommala koluvu’ arranged by a family in Berhampur on Thursday. —

BERHAMPUR: ‘Bommala koluvu’, the unique tradition of displaying and worshipping the collection of toys at home during Durga puja, still continues among some old families of the city.

At the residence of N. Balkrishna Murthy, a retired district judge, it is being celebrated since years. His wife N. Subhalaxmi has taken much pain to arrange and display all toys at their home. The stock of toys is quite high as it includes some dolls more than five decades old. Ms. Subhalaxmi says that members of her family have developed a desire to collect unique toys from places they visit due to this annual festival. Toys brought from West Bengal and Karnataka too are on display. The wide range, in a way, tells about the evolution of toys and their mediums during the last few decades as they ranged from wood and earthen ones to the trendy plastic ones manufactured in China.

The displayed collection of toys are worshipped every evening along with the idols of Durga, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Ganesh till the day of Dushera. Friends and relatives are invited to take part in the puja. The array of dolls looks unique and it gives a subtle message of unity in diversity. Deities of Hindu mythology, including Rama, Krishna, Hanuman, join hands with idols of Jesus and the Buddha to receive prayers during the puja. A few other Telugu families of the city are also continuing the tradition during puja celebrations.

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