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Its kolu time

That Andal doll... that one over there.
Ok sir, it costs Rs 150.
I'll pay Rs 50...
Sir, be reasonable; Rs 125.
No, I'll give Rs 75, that's my last offer.

The deal was wrapped up at 100, and the doll wrapped in paper. Just then, a woman standing near the bargaining man said, There's a parrot on this idol's shoulder. So, its Meenakshi and not Andal. We already have a Meenakshi idol at home...."

The idol was returned to the glum-looking shopkeeper who muttered away.

This was just one of the incidents that happened at Mylapore, where an array of 'kolu' shops have sprung up, even as Navarathri is round the corner.

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Navrathri, or kolu, is the 9-day (or should we say night?) festival of dolls, sundal, kolam, singing... and a lot more! "I look forward to kolu. It's fun buying these dolls and arranging them on the kolu padi (steps), says little Anand, busily inspecting the 'cricket set' kolu on display. Anand plans to have a cricket match, a zoo and school as part of what he calls 'his' kolu.

Srivats is a mature 19-year-old from an orthodox family. Unlike Anand, he isn't interested in arranging dolls. "I look forward to eating sundal and eat whatever is made at home. Then there's a whole lot of visitors; relatives and family friends who drop in during kolu. Meeting them will be nice."

Come Navarathri, and the women in the family get busy. Shobha, Srivats' mom, says, Its that time of the year when there's a lot of work, within and outside the kitchen. We have to prepare sweets, other savouries, sundal - all this excluding the normal breakfast-lunch-dinner. And, the dolls have to be arranged, the kolu place cleaned every now and then, and after all this we have to smile and greet every guest to the house." A busy time for homemakers, indeed!

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Considered a women's festival, when people come to a house to see the kolu, they are given prasad (the offering made to Gods that day), kungumum, and a small bag of gifts usually containing a mirror, a comb, a small box of kungumum, and fruits.

Arranging dolls is fun. Eating sundal is fun. Spending time with family friends and relatives during kolu is fun. Just go ahead and have a rockin' kolu.

Srinivasa Ramanujam
Published on Oct 13^th, 2004

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