Passion for preserving culture

With vibrant colours and wonderful creativity, each and every street in the city is lined up with dolls. Right from Lord Krishna to Ganapati; each and every avatar is ready for sale. Most people buy these dolls as part of their rituals, but for K R Padmaje, 68, it is more about passion for culture and creativity.
Decorating her home and arranging the dolls for nearly 56 years now, the Navaratri festival means more than anything else for her. "I love arranging these dolls and it gives me great happiness. But this year, I could arrange only 30 per cent of the collection, as I have already become tired of running around decorating all the items," said the 68-year-old Padmaje, who irrespective of her health, is actively involved in the Navaratri celebrations at home.

A traditional family background
Right from the age of 12, she has been involved in decorating the dolls during the festival. Belonging to a very traditional family, culture has always remained an integral part of her. Collecting dolls from all over the world, she has made her passion reach a much higher level.
As you enter her home, this vibrant collection greets you right in front of you. Dashavataram, stories narrated in the Mahabharata and episodes in the Ramayana and Krishna Jayanthi, besides traditional dolls: You ask for it and they are there her doll collection. The procession of Pandavas to the palace after their exile is also beautifully displayed through her collection. Traditional Kalash, which is age old transferred from three generations, is also one of the main attractions of her display. Not just for elders, she has also made a special effort to display cute dolls for children along with a special made-up cricket stadium for them. A special display of a village with a school, farm and villagers, without missing a single detail, explains her inimitable passion for our culture.

Theme based Navaratri decotation
Apart from the main decoration, she also makes a special arrangement based on a theme. "This year, I have made the birth of Lord Krishna as my theme. Earlier, there were Vaikunta, Kailasa, Samudra Matana, Golden temple, etc. I have always tried to make something special each year with the dolls," She added.
Currently, she has nearly 5,000 dolls in her kitty, right from the ones which are more than 50 years old. Some are the ones bought during the tours of India and around the world and the rest are gifts from students of the dance institute - Shantala Arts Trust, run by her younger son, Pulikeshi Kasturi. He also arranges for cultural programmes of both music and dance along with this doll exhibition at a school premises near his home from September 28 to October 6.

An eye for beautiful dolls
Recalling her earlier times during the festive eve, K R Padmaje said: "Earlier, we used to get a doll for four annas and now these big dolls are so costly that I really wonder with awe. But I always make it a point to buy something new each year and also from the every place that I visit around the world," said the wonderful artist, who came back to Bangalore last week after visiting her second son and daughter in United States of America.
Even though she lures for dolls of other countries, her hometown is the dearest of all. She feels that the culture of our country can never be compared to the cultures of other nations. This same passion for culture has been one of the main reasons for her continuing the tradition of displaying dolls at her home. "I want to teach our culture to the upcoming younger generations. They should know about the epics, the rituals and how festivals are celebrated; hence I feel that these traditions should be continued to make them aware of their wonderful culture, which unfortunately these days are fading in many parts," added  Padmaje, who is also a retired teacher.
–SUCHITRA PILLAI