Bengaluru: Dasara dolls have become dearer this season, with rates up 15-20%. Traders attribute this not only to higher labour and paint costs but also to shifting patterns of demand shaped by movies.Following the popularity of movies such as Mahavatar Narasimha and Kantara, figurines of Narasimha, Hiranyakashyap story sets, and Yakshagana characters are seeing brisk sales. Traders in the state get these dolls — mostly made of clay and paper-mache — from places such as Tamil Nadu, Kolkata, Channapatna, and a few even from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Naditha, owner of Lakshmi Venkateshwara Stores on Gandhi Bazaar Main Road in Basavanagudi, said customers haven’t been deterred by the price hike. “We’ve been in this trade for 35 years. Prices are up by Rs 200-300, but regular customers are still buying, and demand is still high for these dolls. We had stocked dolls worth Rs 85 lakh, and most are already sold,” she said.Nagalakshmi H, owner of NH Dolls who has been selling Dasara dolls for three decades, noted a shift in demand. “We plan to add more dolls inspired by movies and current events. Right now, Narasimha and Yakshagana dolls are leading the sales, we’ve had many customers asking for these dolls in the backdrop of the movies based on those themes. Prices have gone up 15% since the makers themselves have raised rates, citing labour costs,” she explained.At Gajendra Stores, which has sourced dolls from Channapatna for 30 years, owner Sumalatha said Ayodhya Rama, Narasimha, and Yakshagana dolls are especially popular this season. “The price rise hasn’t stopped people from buying. And the demand for Ayodhya Rama is still up even after two years,” she chimed in.Babu from Santosh Stores, a family-run outlet in Malleswaram that has been in business for 80 years, said: “The demand is always there for all of Vishnu’s avatars every year, but Narasimha is seeing much higher demand now because of movies. Prices are up 20% because of labour costs, but the customers are coming,” he added.Mani Kumar of Manjunatha Stores at Malleswaram’s 8th Cross, which has been around for 60 years, said they have limited the price hike to 5%, though transportation and labour charges continue to weigh heavily on traders.Box What is Gombe Habba?Gombe Habba, or the festival of dolls, is celebrated during Dasara each year. It involves collecting a wide range of dolls, presenting them on a multi-stage platform, and inviting friends to come over and have a look.Families choose a theme — often from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, or Puranas — around which the dolls are arranged. The lead pair, or Pattada Gombe, usually depicts divine couples such as Rama-Sita or Shiva-Parvati, crafted in wood, clay, or metal. The dolls are displayed on nine tiers for Navaratri, with prominent figures at the top and supporting characters below, enhanced with lights, lamps, and garlands. Saraswati puja is performed on the ninth day, and the dolls are packed away on Vijayadashami.
