Marapachi Bommai

India, home to the world’s largest democracy is a giant amalgamation of life on the move. Part of the lifestyle in India encompasses the monumental importance given to culture and arts. The average Indian lifestyle, in the ancient times, was culturally oriented. Whilst discipline and devotion were morals inculcated in a new-born, the applicative of the same was learning an art or a craft. The same moral is given utmost importance in order to keep alive the spirit of creativity, authenticity, ethnicity and learning. The Indian subcontinent plays the role of a humble abode to a number of forms in the name of the arts and crafts manifested in the nation and around it. With the authentic and indigenous crafts that it possesses, India makes a colossal embodiment of discovered and even so yet to discover arts and crafts

TamilNadu has a rich history of culture and tradition that has evolved over centuries. Perhaps the most profuse flowering of the Tamil culture is in the handicrafts of TamilNadu. By ceaselessly promoting the various ethnic art forms, simultaneously preserving antique artefacts from Chola and Pandya dynasties by reproducing their replicas, Tamil Nadu has become a world-known destination for pilgrims of art in search of fine handiworks of India, such as life-like, Stone Sculptures, Celestial figures in Bronze, Brass lamps, Rosewood Carvings, Sandalwood Carvings, country wood Carvings, Tanjore Art Plates, Tanjore Picture Paintings and much, and much more.

Mylapore the land of Tamil Brahmins, Iyers in particular. St. Thomas Basilica and the Ramakrishna Math (Pronounced as Muth), are some of the places that immediately come to mind when one says ‘Mylapore’.It is an amalgamation of Hindu, Muslim and Christian faiths. It’s a perfect example of secularism amongst the neighbourhoods of Chennai. It is a cultural hub and one of the oldest presidential parts of the city. It is impossible for one to leave Mylapore without gaining any cultural knowledge.




Like any age-old tradition, you can’t help but wonder, what is the significance of Marapachi Bommais? Some believe that these dolls were presented to the bride and the groom at the time of marriage as toys for the couple. After all when two people, rather two children, get married at the age of ten what better gift than toys to keep them happy. Yet another very interesting reason came to my attention while talking to people was, that these dolls dressed in their wedding attire helped in capturing the moment in the days where technology was clearly non-existent. In the absence of pictures, what better way to remember the way you looked when you were married?


The tradition of giving wooden dolls started when child marriage was an essential ceremony in India. Mainly In southern India wooden dolls were gifted to the bride from the groom’s family considering it as a symbol of inviting her in the new family, so that she feels welcomed. There were many other dolls made up of different materials (clay, marble etc.) which were gifted with the marapachi dolls, but the couple dolls had the most importance as it was gifted in a set of two symbolising the bride and the groom.

It is a traditional practice to have wooden figurines of the bride and groom together, called ‘Marapachi Bommai’ or ‘Pattada Gombe’, usually made of sandalwood, teak or rosewood and decorated with new clothes each year before being displayed on the Golu. In southern India, bride is presented with Marapachi Bommai during the wedding by her parents as part of wedding trousseau to initiate the yearly tradition of Navaratri Golu in her new home with her husband. These dolls come as couples dressed in their wedding attire, depicting husband and wife symbolizing prosperity and fertility and the start of the bride’s Golu collection. Display figurines are passed on from one generation to another as heirloom.The significance of this particular gift made of Marapachi doll in red sandal wood is stated to be the medicinal quality of the wood. When a child licks this plaything made of red sandalwood, the child’s saliva derives an extract of the wood which the child absorbs into its system.
The art of creating colourful Kolu dolls and statues has died out. The tradition that has been a part of our culture for centuries, is barely known by half of the population, let alone practiced.
Over the time, lineage of artisans have found it extremely difficult to attract their younger ones in practicing and continuing their hereditary crafts work. They look out for more viable options while pursuing their future, giving minimum importance to the tradition and more towards earning a comfortable livelihood.

The artisans, left in slender numbers, are falling short of work and they tend to resort to repairing the already made dolls instead of making new ones.

Mr.  S. Paramasivam : +91 9841945161
Painter and restorer of old golu dolls

Mr Vinodh : +91 9884242203
Running a family business which is three generations old.

Documented by Shreya Singh