A peek into the largest bommagolu display in Thiruvananthapuram

Every year, Sakthi Kripa, the residence of Sreekanth GS, near Kavaradi Junction in Thiruvananthapuram, becomes the centre of attraction for its largest golu display during Navarathri. This year, Sreekanth has set up over 10,000 items in the 1,800 sq ft house, which includes the car porch, verandah, drawing room, dining room, and terrace. The house is overflowing with dolls and figurines made of various materials including clay, wood, brass, bronze, alloy, ceramic, paper mache, etc.

Sreekanth, a 38-year-old artist and former animator, has been arranging golu for over two months now. He takes care of placing each individual piece, having received assistance from his brother and cousins for assembling the steps. The idea to showcase his entire collection this Navarathri originated from his late paternal grandmother, Gomathi Ambal, who cherished her golu collection. Her passion for golu rubbed off on Sreekanth, who has been collecting items for years, especially during his travels across Tamil Nadu.

Among the many themes displayed this year, there are Vaishnavalokam for Lord Vishnu and his avatars, Guruparampara for saints and teachers, Maavadi Seva depicting Goddess Parvathi, and many others. The drawing room showcases traditional golu with a kalasam, while the dining section has brass ware displayed. The terrace has a variety of theme-based displays, including Namma ooru gramam, Sreechakrapeedam, Kailasam, Attukal Pongala, and figures of guardian deities like Ugra Pratyangara, Aswarooda Varahi, and Varahi Parakramam.

Sreekanth's collection also includes Ashta Sastha, different forms of Siva's tandava, 108 ceramic idols of Ganapathy, and a series dedicated to episodes from the Ramayana. A dedicated section showcases the Royal Trivandrum, the annual arattu procession, and scenes from the Mysore Dussehra festivities. The residence also features a marriage set with a playful twist - a wedding of vegetables! One of the dolls is Panjurli, the guardian spirit from the movie Kantara, made from foam sheet and soft clay.

Sreekanth stores his huge collection in separate chambers within different rooms, such as the space under the verandah and under the stairs. He has also organized theme-based displays during the pandemic, thanks to social media attention. This year, he has expanded his display to 25 themes, up from nine last year, and has opened the doors for the public to view the display.