Golu: Navratri

Navratri, the nine-night festival dedicated to the worship of the divine feminine, is celebrated with great enthusiasm across India. Navratri Golu is a celebration of the Trinity Goddesses – Parvathy, Lakshmi, and Saraswathi. It culminates with Dusshera, also known as Saraswathi Puja and Vijayadasami. In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, the festival includes placing dolls of a multitude of gods, goddesses, animals, men, and children on a step-like set-up. In Tamil, Bommai Golu or Kolu means ‘Divine Presence’, in Telugu, Bommala Koluvu means ‘Court of Toys’, and in Kannada, Bombe ... So, the Golu or the dolls displayed during Navratri is a humble ode to the selfless sacrifices of other gods and goddesses to ensure the victory of good over evil. Known as Kolu (pronounced as गोलु) in Tamil Nadu, Gombe Habba (गोम्बे हब्बा) in Karnataka and Bommala Koluvu (बोम्माला कोलुवु) in Andhra Pradesh, the arrangement of dolls is an integral part of Navaratri celebration in South India. The words Kolu (Golu) in Tamil, Gombe in Kannada and Bomma in Telugu mean dolls.