WEST BENGAL – KOLKATA
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| VASTHU TOY OF KOLKATA |
Utangram, a village in Burdwan, about four hours’ drive from Kolkata, is one such place, where the traditional style has been retained to a large extent. The dolls are first chiselled from a piece of seasoned wood cut to the required length. Then the face and attire is painted on them. The dolls lack modern sophistication but preserve in themselves a rustic beauty, the hallmark of ethnic crafts. There are three to four distinct varieties of dolls. The sari of bride dolls are painted with such skills that you will not find anything amiss even though the dolls have no limbs.
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Bhakti movement in Bengal in the 15 and 16th century introduced the Gour-Nitai dolls, a pair of male figures with hands outstretched over their heads. They represent Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (Gour) and his close disciple Nityananda. Lord Krishna in his many forms also became popular. Another divine doll is that of Gopinath, the guardian deity of Agradwip, a town on the Burdwan-Nadia border.
Perhaps it was the royal influence (Burdwan is a former royal kingdom of Bengal) that introduced the making of soldier dolls.
But the most popular is the pair of owlets, with its origin rooted in religion. There are many old Hindu families in Bengal who still worship a pair of painted wooden owls to seek the blessings of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. They are believed to represent the pair of owlets, according to mythology, who had helped a poor mother and son earn fortunes by recommending them to the goddess of wealth. Despite being poor and managing with frugal meals, the little boy never failed to share his food with the birds, which later stood him in good stead.
”LAND OF GEMS” MANIPUR
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| LAIPHADIBI |
All the children, mostly girls, gathered at a friend’s porch with their respective dolls and accessories. The accessories were wide-ranging, from multiple phanek (long wraparound) and phi (a piece of cloth worn like a shawl) to beds and sofas and sometimes even kitchen utensils. They were handmade with cloth, mud and pieces of leftover wood, and stored neatly in a lubak (bamboo basket). After the play session, the dolls were put to sleep, lovingly tucked under a blanket inside the lubak. If the laidhibi was left unattended and uncared for, the elders warned the children, ‘If you do not put your laidhibi back in the lubak after playing, they will cry at night under the banana trees.’ This was a scenario that no child wantedWhen the child grew up and stopped playing with the laidhibi, it was time to part ways. However, the laidhibi was not to be thrown away or discarded but passed down to a younger sibling or buried under a banana grove. It was important to bring the relationship and the association to an end with a formal closure.
laidhibi are made of straw. These dolls have no legs and stand on their potloi (ornamental lower dress).Who Makes the Dolls?
Though there are no strict rules about who can make the laidhibi, it is usually done by elderly women. A ritual called boriba initiates a person into doll making; it involves seeking permission and blessings by offering a nominal fee to the teacher. How are They Made?
To make laidhibi, one needs cloth of various materials and colours—plain white cotton for the face, velvet for the blouse, bright-coloured dress materials for the potloi, plenty of colourful beads and sparkly sequins to embellish it, zari fabric for the boswan (a flared-up cloth worn around the waist), net or semi-transparent material for the veil, laces and jewellery. One also needs needles of various sizes, threads, metal wires, glue, stapler and scissors. Old carton boxes, bought in bulk, are used for making the base for the potloi.
STORIES AND BELIEFS
Children today have more dolls than they can play with; they are thrown about, limbless or headless, often making the elders reprimand the child for being insensitive and uncaring. This feeling originates from the belief that laidhibis are living spirits and need to be treated with respect.
laidhibis care for their human companions and, if treated with dignity, bring prosperity.
dolls are placed at the entrance to a home, the residents are protected and they are endowed with wealth. The reason for the placement of the doll at this spot, Thoibi says, is based on the Goddess Panthoibi myth. The laidhibi had successfully scared away the evil spirits, foiling their plan of causing harm to the family. Thus, it is believed that the laidhibi protects houses even when their residents are away. This is why even after marriage, a woman cannot move her laidhibi from her maternal home, until a month later. Many people in Manipur also hang the dolls on their vehicles based on the belief that they prevent accidents.
CULTURAL HERITAGE
The ancient text Leisemlol Sai-on-ba mentions the making of dolls and their usage in rituals and as playthings. The dolls are integral to certain rituals. Koktumbi dolls with a thin transparent veil are most popular among tourists to Manipur. Such dolls have a conical cap on the head instead of hair and other ornaments. They are distinctive and have been popularised by the raslila dance.
When the British arrived in Manipur in the late nineteenth century and started discovering the handicrafts of the people, the Manipuri dolls were one of the earliest items they took back with them. Gradually, from being an essential item of religious practices and toys for young children, the doll became a showpiece, a souvenir item.
Among the Lois people of Manipur, if an unmarried man dies, a female doll made of cloth is kept in his coffin. If an unmarried woman dies, a male doll provides her company. The Lois belideceased person with a companion in their afterlife.
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