INTRO

It's been 27 years of keeping golu, and this year I thought, why not make it grander?
The idea this time was to showcase the traditional local heritage and culture of our diverse country through the notion of 'Bharatiya Sanskaar'.

1) The showcase begins from outside the very doorstep, starting with the Vishwaroopa Darshanam and sharing glimpses of Krishna's Leelais in a tableau.
2) Upon entering, we had the "Madurai corner" at the entrance, which evoked the essence of Madurai through elements that make the temple town popular, from Malligai to Jigarthanda.
3) The Chettiar couples had their own market corner, selling various produce and kitchen utensils made of iron, wood and Kalchatti (soapstone).
4) The main golu steps featured Nachiyar Thirukolam alongside the many gods and goddesses.
5) To one side was a series dedicated to Vishnu's reincarnations depicted in creative ways - 'Dashavataram in Action', and the other side featured moral stories as well as mythological tales.
6) The Navadurga were beautifully decorated and dressed up, using kalasams as a base.
7) A lot of day-to-day practices of older traditions in South Indian villages have almost been forgotten, and my Village scene displays these activities through glimpses of rural life in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This is accompanied by a troupe of enthusiastic Punjabi dancers entertaining their customers at their colourful truck dhaba.
8) On the day the Chandrayaan landed on the moon, TVS Motor Company also had an international launch of their new electric scooter at the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. My husband was a part of this celebration and I took this opportunity to showcase this momentous event, alongside a diorama of the deserts in the Middle East.

Take a look at our pictures and video, and have a walk through our golu!