Many hues, one spirit mark Dasara

BENGALURU: What's Bombe Habba for Kannadigas is Bommala Kaluvu for the Telugu community. While Tamilians may savour payasam, for Bengalis, it's time to gorge on the delectable rosogolla. Dasara means different things to different people. But the spirit of bonhomie that marks the occasion is common across communities. Shilpa Baburaj speaks to four families on how they celebrate the nine-day extravaganza KANNADIGA
For Sunitha Sudharshan and her family, Malgudi Days and Sethubandhanam (Rama's bridge) are the Dasara themes this year.“Our doll collection is themed on the much-loved series Malgudi Days and the famous episode of Sethubandhanam from the epic Ramayana,“ said Sunitha, resident of Kamalanagar.
"Every year, we showcase our doll collection in our garden, inviting 60-70 neighbours.
Payasam and barfi are the main savouries served to guests," said her husband Sudarshan.
"We have been following the Kannadiga tradition for many years; this time it has been taken forward by my daughter Srishti.
We will keep her books along with the kalasha and the idol of goddess Saraswati for puja," added Sunitha
TAMILIAN
Arun Ramachandaran's celebrations revolve around nature and divinity, something which is apparent by his doll collection. This year, it is themed on Amarnath caves. "We believe nature and godliness go hand in hand.We want to convey the message that it is important to conserve nature, and what better way to do it than this! Last year, the theme was Sabarimala. Decking up the house with dolls has been a family tradition for ages and we ardently enjoy doing it," said Arun."Even my parents used to build the collection with the aim of sending out a message to society. It's something we have inherited from them. Our dolls depict humans, nature and animals," said his wife Archana Ramachandaran. Sundal (a dish made of chickpeas) is must-have in the Tamil household, along with payasam and other accompaniments
BENGALI
For this family from West Bengal, Bengaluru is a home away from home. "Durga Puja is our biggest festival. Though we miss the Kolkata-style festivities, we celebrate the occasion with gusto," said Sudipta Dey Achinto Roy, who hasn't visited Kolkata since 2007. "This time, we are performing puja in the morning and have organized a small entertainment programme for children in the evening. We have made arrangements for Bengali specialties and bhog for everyone who wants to get a taste of Bengali culture. This is also an opportunity for other communities to get a glimpse of our tradition and rituals," added Sudipta who's hosting the Durga Puja festivities at BTM Layout
IKEBANA BRINGS RAMAYANA TALES ALIVE
What links Dasara to Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement? Sogetsu School of Ikebana seems to have found a connection. As part of a Navratri doll show, the school made 24 flower arrangements depicting 24 different episodes from the Ramayana. Tree branches, coffee beans, berries and other natural things adorned the creative artworks. N Leela Venkatadri, 71, along with her team of 16 Ikebana artists, ensured each floral arrangement was aesthetically unique
TELUGUITE
Namrata Shastri, an entrepreneur dedicated to organic farming, believes Dasara is all about love and unity. Namrata, who's from ndhra Pradesh, made Bengaluru her home 8 years ago after she got married."I was glad to know the doll festival I had been celebrating all my life is called Dasara in Karnataka. In AP, we call it Bommala Kaluvu. I began displaying my doll collection when my daughter was born. I usually choose a theme that involves my first memory of her or the important events in her life. For the first doll collection, I created a model of international and government schools with the aim of highlighting the difference between the two," she said."This year, it's based on the theme "sound of Om". I believe Om is the most powerful sound in the universe which sends out the message of oneness," added Namrata, who invites friends and family for a feast on the joyous occasion.