Creating the Golu

Golu is traditionally celebrated for nine days, but for many like me the world over, preparations begin many weeks in advance. My trip to Leicester to find more Golu bommai did not end too well and we returned almost as soon as we reached there. So the hunt began locally and after gathering quite a few new dolls for this year, we went about buying other little gifts that made the Golu very special. I started off with a small list of invitees for my Golu, but its grown over 4 times and there were over a dozen families over the Navarathri period. Aditi enjoyed the most I think, decked up in Indian dress and lots of bangles. The little girl is hooked on to fancy bangles now.

I spent the weekends looking for return gifts, found some lovely paper bags to put them in, bought some dry fruits to be put in the tamboolam bag instead of sundal(sundal was to be eaten at home). My neighbour and friend D volunteered to help me arrange the Golu as Prashanth was working nights that weekend. We had a great time - typical girly chats, late night teas and plenty of snacks, giggling away and once managing to wake Aditi up in the process. We started at about 9:30 and finished by 11:45 at night. I had sort of arranged the steps with cardboard boxes and books and D provided feedback, rearranged some of them until both of us were fully satified with the result. Two heads were definitely better than one. Earlier in the week, I had washed and ironed 2 of Prashanth's white veshtis to spread over the golu padis. The steps were just long enough that the border of the veshtis formed a red and green border on either side of the padis. Then began the fun part of actually arranging the dolls on the steps. D & I again rearranged them until we were extremely happy, discarding some away. We had another round of snacks and some photo sessions later and D left. I proceeded to clean up the place, stack the boxes that contained the dolls away, put some lights on and finally went to bed by 2 am.

Last year, I kept the Golu in the study, because I was scared Aditi would pull all the toys down. This year I took a bit of risk and set it up downstairs in our kitchen diner which overlooked the garden and was much bigger than the study. I had told Aditi that night I would be keeping the Golu with D aunty and that she should not touch it, but can see the Golu. I least expected her to remember it. The next morning my little girl wakes up, gives a big smile when she sees that I'm still in bed lying next to her and then tells me - "Amma, u keep Golu, I not touch it, I see it". I was surprised to say the least. The little girl has been so sweet with looking after the Golu, wearing Indian clothes, matching bindis and bangles and being a girly girl really. She does ask for a toy from the Golu, mostly from the park or from the zoo , plays with it for a bit and returns it back to its original position. She's also been extremely happy to hand out the tamboolam bags and take one for herself each time. Thankfully she only wants empty bags, so thats fine by me.

Sunday was Saraswati Pooja, we placed some of our books including Aditi's in front of the Golu and then went over to do the Ayudha pooja. Aditi was super excited to put chandan/kumkum on her bicycle and mine, we then did a little pooja for the car and soon left for an Indian Dasara meet - lunch and fun at a huge community hall. Aditi had total fun playing with balloons and we returned around 7PM exhausted, but happy. On monday morning after a little Vijayadasami pooja and making Aditi read a few lines from her books, we have officially completed the Navarathri. One doll was put to rest at night and I packed off the dolls and sent them to the attic until next year.