Traditional Golu dolls sales soar during Navaratri

Tiruchi retailers & artisans reap profits from buoyant Golu doll market this year, thanks to e-commerce & orders from abroad. Poompuhar Sales Showroom sold ₹21 lakh worth dolls since Oct 3 & expects to reach ₹40 lakh target by Oct 31. Dolls range from ₹20 to ₹80,000 & depict Ramayana, Krishna & farming life. Sri Murugesan Kaivanna Kalaikoodam sold 41,000 dolls to U.S. & Canada & preparing Ponniyin Selvan-inspired dolls.

Dolls and idols used in the Golu displays during the Navaratri festival are flying off the shelves in Tiruchi as retailers and manufacturers reap the profits of a buoyant market this year, thanks to e-commerce and orders from Tamil expatriates in U.S. and Europe.

“For several years now, we have enabled remote shopping through video calls, which allows customers from distant places in India and even other countries to order Golu dolls remotely. The orders are packed and shipped by us according to customers’ requirements,” R. Gangadevi, manager, Poompuhar Sales Showroom, Tiruchi, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

The official added that the government emporium had sold Golu dolls worth ₹21 lakh since the promotion began on October 3. “We are quite confident about achieving our ₹40 lakh sales target when the promotion ends on October 31, as Navaratri displays are now being held outside the home as well, in corporate premises and educational institutions, driving up demand from new customers,” Ms. Gangadevi said.

Over 200 artisans from Thanjavur, Madurai, Puducherry, Pudukottai and Cuddalore, among other places, sell their dolls via Poompuhar. “Besides the traditional terracotta and clay versions, we also stock figurines in more lightweight materials like papier mache, wood and cloth, which are easier to transport abroad. This year, our showroom’s Tirupathi ‘Thanga Ther’ (golden chariot) is very popular. Dolls themed around the Ramayana and stories about Lord Krishna are also in great demand. Our price range starts at ₹20 for individual pieces and goes up to ₹80,000, depending on the size and type of dolls,” she said.

Demand has been steady at the traditional family-run doll manufacturing companies as well this year. “We have sold 41,000 Navaratri dolls in the past few weeks, thanks to advance orders from customers in U.S. and Canada. Dolls depicting farming life and Indian rituals are popular abroad. Besides this, we are now preparing to bring out a line of dolls inspired by the Ponniyin Selvan epic,” said T. Ananda Kumar of Sri Murugesan Kaivanna Kalaikoodam, a firm that specialises in production and direct sales of Golu dolls in Mayiladuthurai.