Hindu divine dolls idolised at Dussehra festival
647 views · Published 3 November 2018 · 4:26 · Indexed 28 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(29 Oct 2018) LEADIN: Celebrations for the Hindu festival of Dussehra are being held in different parts of the Indian subcontinent. In a centuries-old tradition, divine dolls are on display in the southwestern city of Mysore to commemorate the victory of good over evil. STORYLINE: The elephants have been painted and their mahouts have adorned their traditional uniforms. It's 'Dasara', or Dussehra, the Hindu festival that marks the culmination of the nine nights and ten days festival of Navratri, celebrated across the country with varying traditions. In the southwestern city of Mysore, the Dussehra festivities commemorate the warrior goddess Durga's victory of good over evil. Durga is said to have slain Mahishasura, a buffalo demon who tormented the people of Mysore. A traditional royal procession marks the occasion every year. For more than 400 years, elephants, dancers, musicians and life-sized idols of Hindu gods and goddesses are brought to the streets. About as old is the tradition of displaying figurines, made from mud, wood, or cloth, arranged to depict stories from Hindu mythology like the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics. Idol worship is central to the Hindu religion and almost all Hindu homes have statues of at least one of the many gods and goddesses. These colourful figurines are part of an exhibition by avid doll collector A.R.K. Chakravarthy. Chakravarthy, who is displaying his collection at the invitation of the Mysore royal family, explains the importance of idols in Hindu culture. "When her (Goddess Durga) power is collected from the deities, then the deities all they become dolls. Without power, the deities, they become dolls. So to commemorate that, during the Dussehra festival people used to keep the dolls." The exhibition depicts various scenes and figures from Hindu religion, including the battle between Durga and the buffalo demon and a whole section on the elephant god Ganesha. Sreedevi Unni, a classical dancer and a doll enthusiast visiting the exhibition, says she believes these idols have special powers. "The mud has got the energy. When you pray to the mud, that mud has… it can absorb the energy. It can give you back the energy. From your soul it goes to the mud doll, but from there it processes and comes back to you." In line with old traditions followed by the royal family of Mysore, each home has a small display of idols that the family gathers around for chanting prayers and reading religious texts. "Mysore follows a different tradition," explains Prem Kumar, a local realtor whose ancestors served in the royal army more than 300 years ago. "Whatever rituals the king follows in his palace, everyone here performs the same rituals at home." Chakravarthy believes the figurines help communicate with the divine. "If we have mind, they can talk with us, they can reveal the secrets of the universe also," he says. At Mysore's 17th Century Chamundeshwari Temple a sacred idol of Durga is prepared for the annual Dussehra procession. The figure is then carried on beautifully decorated elephants. Even a glance of the idol is considered a holy experience by many. Dussehra festivities will continue across the rest of the country until Diwali, the festival of lights on November 7. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/90956a02578956104f524a552a034083
