The word “Gombe” means a wooden doll in Kannada and these beautiful puppet dolls come from the Kannal village of the Koppal district of Karnataka. According to the legend this art goes back to the times of Mahabharat, when lord Krishna’s wife Satyabhama was angry with him and he did a performance wearing Gaarudi Gombe doll to make her smile again. Most part of the history has had hindu religious figures from Ramayan or Mahabharat as the main theme for these puppets. However, with time they have started making dolls reflecting the contemporary issues of the present times as well. In this story we will share with you a glimpse from an exhibition that happened in Delhi last month and take you through another mesmerising art form of India, as we have in the past. GOMBE – The magical puppets from Karnataka.
Pic courtesy Art Konsult
The puppet above is of Brahma, the creator god of the Trimurti of Hinduism. Put behind a Door Jamb, as described by the gallery “Door Jamb is a vertical portion of the door frame onto which a door is secured. The word “jamb” comes from the french word “jambe” meaning leg, in architecture, is the side post or lining of a door way or other aperture”.
Looking for more traditional art forms to add into your home decor? Read our story on terracotta art of Molela,Rajasthan.
Pic courtesy Art Konsult
This puppet is of Vishnu, the protector & preserver of the universe. This is a hand painted, mixed media wood puppet of this Hindu lord. Normally the Door Jamb and the puppet are sold separately. Also another interesting fact is that the Hindu god or goddess made in Gombe art are made as a puppet only and no Abhisheka is performed. As the idols are normally made up of wood, and the wood would not withstand the offerings.
Pic courtesy Art Konsult
Then comes Shiva, the third lord of the holy trinity. He is the destroyer, however the destruction made by Shiva allows for positive recreation. This hand painted wonder was a 47” x 23” x 14” idol. One of the pieces from the collection curated by Siddhartha Tagore.
Pic Courtesy Art Konsult
This bull is hand painted mixed media on wood again. Measuring 24” x 25” x 10”, it has become quite rustic with time but it’s simplicity is quite striking. The Gombe dolls are made up of wood, with paper-mãché applied on it. Using appropriate sketches and colours, the face is created and a doll can go up to 12 feet in height, with a weight as much as 40 kg. The performer fits themselves underside and it hangs on their shoulder. Due to its weight and size, it is mostly men who wear these dolls at the time of Gaarudi Gombe. A major festival when a procession is held in during the Dasera festivities in the city of Mysore.
Here is another charming art form that we wrote about before, Romancing Rajasthan’s heritage craft of Thikri.
Pic courtesy Art Konsult
As written before even though this art form in highly inspired of religious figures but there are other tools too. Like the one above of a mother and child. Put up in midst of a Door Jamb, this can be a perfect art piece for your home. Gombe art form has been around for more than 200 years and next time when you do visit Hampi, do drop by to this quaint village. We are blessed to be in a country with so much art and history to share. For more on this story, do follow us on Instagram or like us on Facebook. Dhanyavāda
