Mysuru: Ramsons Kala Pratishtana has organised Bombe Mane, a year-long exhibition of exquisite dolls from across India at its Pratima Gallery on Nazarbad Main Road in city from Sept. 1 between 10 am and 7.30 pm.

Prof. Padma Shekhar, Vice-Chancellor, Karnataka Sanskrit University, Bengaluru, will inaugurate the 13th edition of Bombe Mane expo tomorrow at 12 noon.

Prof. Srinivasa Varakhedi, Director, Academy of Sanskrit Research, Melukote and S. Kumara, Registrar (Admin), Academy of Sanskrit Research, will inaugurate Special Display Sections. Dolls will also be on display at Handicrafts Sales Emporium, Ramsons House, opposite Mysuru Zoo.

More than 10,000 colourful dolls will be on display and sale celebrating the vivid, extraordinary diversity of the land’s people, their folkways and mores all of which are bewilderingly mind-boggling.

Bombe Mane has a tradition of special display showcasing various cultural aspects of our heritage rich land. This year too Bombe Mane continues this tradition with four unique dioramas celebrating various aspects of culture. The 1000th anniversary of Saint Ramanuja, 250th birth anniversary of Saint Tyagaraja, 125th anniversary of institution of Order of Gandaberunda, 125th anniversary of the beginning of Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav and 50th anniversary of first Jnanpith Award to Kannada — these are the themes for these special display sections.

Similar to story-telling, doll festival is an entertaining and fun way of imparting knowledge to children. During the ten days of doll festival (Bombe Habba), children can actually see their favourite characters from mythology like Ganesha, Arjuna, Radha, Krishna, etc., come tangibly alive in the form of dolls. The rich imaginative stories and their characters have been moulded out in clay, applied with vibrant hues and they seem as if they are frozen in time.

There are not only the dolls of mythological characters, but also the dolls of lay-man and lay-lady, animals, birds, trees, houses, etc. The rural setting can be easily created using dolls in various farmland chores like tilling, sowing, planting, harvesting, winnowing, etc., while local market can be set up using dolls selling vegetables, flowers, fruits; either seated or on the move.

An entire park or garden, forest, hill, menagerie can also be created using these dolls. A huge collection of doll accessories, miniature buildings, models and other paraphernalia provides one with enough material to conjure up a carnival of dolls within the space of your drawing room.

Thus, the doll festival becomes a festival of creativity where one can create a mini universe of their own and can be master of their own creation. Keep an aeroplane in a temple, make fishes fly, let an elephant swim in water — make whatever you want — you own the place, you own the dolls. There is no limit to this creativity until and unless there is a doll that bites.

The doll festival of Japan, ‘Hina Matsuri’ has rules and regulations, ‘do’s and ‘dont’s, tiers and hierarchies, but the ‘Bombe Habba’ gives one enough liberty to let the imagination run wild within the limits of ‘auchitya’ or propriety. So realise your dream world this Bombe Habba and unleash your creativity.