Navaratri Golu: The Tradition and Significance of Golu Dolls

For many Indian families, Navaratri is not only a festival of prayer, fasting and celebration. Indian people all around the world, the families in South India and particularly in Tamil Nadu have an additional custom of displaying Golu Dolls in order to create a beautiful and festive atmosphere in their houses. This custom is known as Navaratri Golu or Bommai Golu. Golu Dolls are arranged on a multi-levelled stand called Golu Padi.

Families living in Australia can easily celebrate Golu and thus preserve their culture while introducing it to their children.

What is Navaratri Golu?

Golu dolls are displayed during nine days of Navaratri in order to create a multi-levelled representation of gods, goddesses, myths, festivals, scenes from rural life and any other characters. Each family creates their own theme every year, therefore the display of dolls changes from year to year. The custom of Golu Bommai is very popular in South Indian houses.

As usual, Golu Bommai is arranged on a multi-levelled stand called Golu Padi. Golu Padi usually consists of an odd number of steps (three, five, seven or nine) covered with a piece of cloth. At the top of Golu Padi there are usually placed deities, while the rest of the steps are decorated with dolls depicting other characters and scenes.

A set of Golu Bommai usually includes the traditional dolls made of wood, clay, ceramics and other materials. Some families can have old sets of dolls, which are preserved and added to every year, while some prefer adding one or two new dolls to their Golu setup every year.

Why is Navaratri Golu Celebrated?

As Navaratri is the festival of the Divine Feminine and the victory of the Goddess Durga over Mahishasura, Navaratri is a time of meditation, prayer and fasting. The festival ends on the tenth day with the celebration of Vijay Dasami, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

Navaratri Golu tradition adds to the festive atmosphere by creating the visual display of deities, stories and different aspects of life. Thus, the children can easily perceive the legends and the Indian mythology, since they can watch the dolls depicting these stories and characters.

Another aspect of Golu is that it is the tradition of sharing and hospitality. During Navaratri families traditionally invite women, children, relatives and friends to their houses. They usually share devotional songs, participate in prayers and give prasadam and a small return gift. According to the traditional Navaratri celebration, the guests receive small presents such as turmeric, kumkum, flowers, betel leaves and coconuts.

The Importance of Golu Dolls

Every doll of the Golu Bommai display has its own meaning. The families can collect the dolls depicting the deities like Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Krishna, Rama, Ganesha, the episodes from life of gods and goddesses or the scenes of Indian festivals, weddings or any other events. Thus, the families can easily preserve their stories and customs using this simple visual representation.

The importance of Golu lies in the fact that this tradition brings several generations together. Grandparents can tell the stories, parents can arrange the dolls and children can decorate them, thus creating a family event rather than just participating in a religious ritual.

For the families living in Australia, it is very important that the children, who do not have an opportunity to attend these celebrations in India, will be able to learn about the Indian culture in a simple and enjoyable way.

How to Arrange Golu Bommai Display

The first step in arranging the Golu setup is choosing a suitable place for the Golu Padi. It does not necessarily have to be a spacious room. Families living in apartments or in smaller houses can arrange the three-step or five-step display.

After covering the steps with cloth, the families can start arranging the Golu Bommai dolls. The deities are usually placed on the top steps and the rest is occupied with other dolls or scenes: small Krishna scene, wedding set, Chettinad dolls, village scene or traditional musicians.

The decoration of Golu can include flowers, lamps, torans, rangoli or kolam and any other decorative elements. The LED lights can also be used, if the fire is not allowed in the house. For families in Australia, the decorations, which can be easily stored and used again, can make this annual event much simpler.

Golu Pooja and Navaratri celebrations

During nine days families perform the Golu Pooja according to their family traditions. The lamp is lit and the prayers are offered to deities. Some families recite devotional songs, Lalitha Sahasranamam or other prayers, while the other families keep the ritual simple.

In Tamil Nadu the ninth day is traditionally dedicated to the celebration of Saraswathi Pooja, when all the books, musical instruments and other tools of learning or working are worshipped. Therefore, the Navaratri is especially important for the children, students, teachers and all those who value the learning process.

As well as the Golu Bommai display, the social aspect of the holiday is also important. The families usually invite guests during the festival, offer prasadam and give small gifts. The children can dress up in traditional clothes, sing songs and tell about different dolls to the visitors.

All these small things are what makes the celebration of Golu Bommai personal and warm.

Golu Bommai in Australia

The celebration of Navaratri Golu in Australia does not require a big setup. Several Golu Bommai dolls, flowers, lamps and traditional songs can create a festive atmosphere in your house. Families can also invite Indian neighbors and friends to share their Golu and the story of this celebration.

It can also be a good chance to show Indian traditions to Australian friends. It is not enough just to show them Golu Bommai dolls, but also to tell them the story of this tradition, to explain who these characters are and why Navaratri is celebrated for nine days.

The most important thing about Navaratri Golu is that the festivals are not only about decorations and rituals. It is about family, faith, stories and the preservation of traditions from generation to generation. Whether celebrated in Chennai, Melbourne, Sydney or other cities of Australia, a simple Golu Bommai display can preserve a wonderful part of Indian heritage.