R for Raja Rani Dolls or Marapachi Bommai

Navaratri marks the beginning of Golu, decorated with large-sized dolls in the Southern part of India. The dolls have to be placed in multiple steps, in odd numbers, for instance, 11 steps or 9 steps or 3 steps, depending upon the dolls to be displayed.The Navrati Golu isn’t kept for mere display. The tradition holds significance and relates to ancient Hindu scriptures. The Golu figurines are arranged in such a way that it celebrates the Indian stories, passed on from one generation to another, like the Ramayana, Puranas and the Dashavataram.The Golu also depicts the evolution of life from animals to the sages and seers. As part of Golu traditions, people visit each other’s homes and exchange greetings. It is a traditional practice to have wooden figurines of the bride and groom together, called 'Marapacchi Bommai', usually made of sandalwood, teak or rosewood or dried coconut and decorated with new clothes each year, before being displayed on the Kolu.Raja Rani Dolls (in Tamil Marapachi Dolls) come in pairs—a male and female. Raja Rani Dolls are popular and iconic in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. These dolls are an essential component of the Bommala Koluvu/ Golu display during the festival of Navaratri..As a tradition, Marapachi dolls are a hereditary gift from mother to daughter, when the latter starts her Bommai Kolu arrangement and it is then handed down as an heirloom. Another belief is that these dolls were dressed in wedding finery to be able to capture the essence of marriage forever since those were the days of no photographs. They were also used as toys for kids to play with. These dolls are traditionally hand-crafted in Andhra Pradesh. In the earlier days, it was made of Red sandalwood, which has medicinal properties. Marapachi is the name of the wood and Bommai means dolls, so it means dolls made of Marapachi. Carving red sandal in the form of dolls not only made for attractive storage but was of great medicinal importance too. When a child licks this plaything made of red sandalwood, the child's saliva derives an extract of the wood which the child absorbs into its system. This blend of art and utility in the olden times is a reminder that craft in India was never for decorative purposes only, it had deep utility purposes as well..Today, the basic raw material has changed to wood, due to the ban on Red Sandalwood. Simple tools such as the hand chisel, wooden hammer and hand-operated saw are used for making these dolls. The dolls retain the natural texture of wood or at times are colored black and polished. The wood is dyed red using chemical dyes to achieve the red sandalwood color. The craft is practiced at Lakshmigaripalli, Yanadi Colony, Settigunta and its surrounding villages. For the past ten decades, 264 craft families have been practicing this wood carving craft. Irrespective of their caste, they have learned the skill of making Raja Rani Dolls.The One District One Product (ODOP) initiative by the government is aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country. The initiative aims to select, brand, and promote at least one product from each district of the country to enable holistic socioeconomic growth across all regions. Under this initiative, the Marapachi dolls/toys are identified as the secondary product to be promoted under the ODOP initiative from Annamayya district. Even though the craft is not being practiced in its original raw material, it has still managed to be used in its decorative form and holds a cultural significance in the celebration of the Navratri festival in India.Many such Indian handicrafts go hand in hand with Indian festivities. The celebration of many of these festivals is linked to the economies of the craft markets in India. So, go that extra mile and celebrate these festivals as traditionally as possible and you are casting a vote for the better economics of the heartlands of India.