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RICH IN CONTENT: Kalpakam Srinivasamurti

Kalpakam’s mother-in-law had collected 20 Gowri dolls, specially ordered in Mysore, for her home’s annual display. These dolls are made of light wood, with parts that can be dismantled, and reassembled. Only one family used to make these dolls, now no longer around. Kept carefully preserved in zinc trunks, the dolls have been retouched with paint only twice, over the 50 years. The collection has its own wardrobe — sets of costumes, hair-pieces, jewellery, and accoutrements. Crowns, bows, arrows and so on are handmade, as per requirement.

Purandaradasa gets enlightenment in the presence of Lord Krishna

It is these dolls that play out the scenes — royal court, wedding, forest, war, temple, and so on. Planning is done well in advance, and invites are designed in accordance with the year’s theme. Besides invitees, curious visitors make a beeline to Kalpakam’s kolu. The kolu has had some illustrious admirers too. Writer R.K.Narayan, Srinivasamurti’s cousin, was a regular visitor. He and his aunt, Kalpakam’s mother-in-law, would sit together and discuss music in detail, and Narayan would delight the family by playing the veena beautifully. M.F.Husain would come there to meet RKN and Kalpakam would watch as they indulged in lively debates. On one such occasion, Husain demanded a sheet of RKN’s letter-head, and drew a sketch of him, now hanging proudly on the walls of the Srinivasamurti home, as part of their treasured collection.

Among the memorable kolu displays of Kalpakam are Padmavati Kalyanam, complete with the gorgeous gifts given to the bride Shanmatham in 1999, 50th year of independence in 1997, a sloka from the Gita — Patram, Phalam, Pushpam, Thoyam, the first display (1955) of Rajarajeswari being worshipped by a woman draped in a nine yards sari, and many more. Two outstanding displays relate to Carnatic music — that of the 1996 theme of Vipanchya Gayatri, a scene based on the 66th sloka from Soundarya Lahari, and the 1991 display of the enlightenment of Purandaradasa. The crowning glory of the 50th year of Kalpakam’s kolu was the Upanayanam of Vamana, the fifth avatar of Lord Vishnu, first one in human form.

The elaborate display follows a sloka from the Bhagavatham, describing the function, with all the celestial beings playing roles. All 20 dolls were used in this theme, and the invitation requested all to come and attend the sacred thread ceremony.

Thorough research, vivid imagination, grand pageantry, tremendous effort and the right encouragement at home have combined to make Kalpakam’s kolu unique. Faith, tradition and festivity are all followed in a fitting manner, emphasising the enduring beauty of our culture and heritage.

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