The mythological tale of Ramayana is a joy to hear. And it was even greater joy to witness the scenes of Ramayana in television serials. But here is something more impactful. Ramayana through dolls! Entire scenes recreated from every section of Ramayana! It is a wonderful way to experience Ramayana and also make your children interested in this ancient tale of India.
At the Dasara festival in the city many homes & temples exhibit Ramayana stories . It is a beloved theme during bombe habba or golu. Here is one such exhibit that showcased the entire Ramayana through dolls at the temple of Surabharathi, Kalyan Nagar ,Bangalore.
Balakanda of Valmiki Ramayana
This section of Ramayana begins with Rama’s birth, his childhood and then ends with his marriage with Sita.
The story begins in Ayodhya when the king Dasharatha is unable to beget children. So he performs a Putresti Yajna asking the gods for a son. His wish is fulfilled and his three wives bear four children. Rama is the son from the eldest queen Kaushalya, Sumitra gives birth to twin sons, Lakshmana and Shatrughna and the third queen Kaikeyi gives birth to Bharata. All the brothers loved and cared by all the queens grow up in a loving household. And also attend Gurukul as part of their education.
Once sage Vishwamitra comes to King Dashratha’s court and asks his help for killing demons, that were troubling his ashram and his rituals. Rama and Lakshmana accompany him and with the help of sage destroy all the demons. During this journey they also free Mata Ahalya who due to a curse had been turned in to a stone.
The brothers finally come to Mithila where Rama manages to lift a heavy bow in King Janaka’s court. The bow which was a gift of Lord Shiva, was unbreakable. Yet Lord Rama lifts it and then marries King Janaka’s daughter -Sita. Then Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna also get married to her sisters Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutakirti. They then return to Ayodhya. This ends Balakanda.
Ayodhya Kanda of Ramayana
This section highlights Rama going to exile for fourteen years.
Dasharatha decides to crown Rama as the next king.Kaikeyi, influenced by her maid Manthara, invokes her two boons from Dasharatha that her son Bharata be crowned king. And hat Rama be exiled to the forest for 14 years. Rama accepts the exile calmly and Sita insists on accompanying him, as does Lakshmana. Dasharatha dies heartbroken from separation.
When Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana begin their exile, they reach the banks of the Ganga. Guha a tribal chief warmly welcomes them, offering food, water, and boats. He deeply admires Rama and wants to help ease his hardship.Rama accepts Guha’s hospitality with grace. Guha provides the boatman Kevata who ferries them across the Ganga. The picture above shows the picture of Guha welcoming Rama in to his humble abode.
Aranya Kanda of Ramayana
This is the third section of Ramaya that talks about Rama’s life in forest, the abduction of Sita by King of Lanka, Ravana and the heroic efforts of the bird Jatayu in trying to save Sita from the clutches of Ravana.
Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana wander through forests, protecting sages from rakshasas. They encounter Surpanakha, Ravana’s sister, who desires Rama.When Rama rejects her and Lakshmana humiliates her by cutting off her nose and ears, Surpanakha seeks revenge. She goes to her brothers Khara and Dushana, who attack Rama with their army, but Rama defeats them.
Surpanakha, humiliated, goes to Lanka and tells Ravana about Sita’s beauty. Ravana, inflamed by desire and vengeance, plots to abduct Sita. Ravana enlists the help of demon Maricha, who takes the form of a golden deer to lure Rama and Lakshmana away. In their absence, Ravana abducts Sita in his flying chariot (Pushpaka Vimana).
Jatayu, the noble vulture king, tries to rescue Sita but is fatally wounded. He manages to tell Rama what happened and dies.
The picture above shows Ravana coming under the guise of a hermit to lure Sita away.
Kishkindha Kanda of Ramayana
This is the fourth section of Ramayana that talks about Rama’s meeting with Hanuman and Sugriva, the killing of Vali and later search of Sita by Vanaras.
After Sita’s abduction, Rama and Lakshmana wander in search of her.They meet Hanuman, the devoted Vanara (monkey) warrior, who instantly recognizes Rama’s greatness. Hanuman introduces them to Sugriva, the exiled monkey king of Kishkinda who had been driven out by his brother Vali.
Sugriva seeks Rama’s help to regain his throne. Rama slays Vali, restoring Sugriva as king of Kishkindha.
In return, Sugriva promises to help Rama find Sita. And sends all his Vanaras in all directions to search for Sita.
The picture above shows Rama in battle with Vali.
SundaraKanda of Valmiki Ramayana
Sundara Kāṇḍa is the fifth section on Hanuman—his leap, his devotion, his courage, and the hope he brings to Rama and Sita.
The Vanaras search for Sita but grow discouraged until Hanuman rises to the occasion. At the seashore, Hanuman expands to a gigantic form and makes his mighty leap across the ocean to reach Lanka.
In Lanka, Hanuman finds Sita in Ashoka Vatika, sorrowful but steadfast in her devotion to Rama.Hanuman comforts Sita, gives her Rama’s ring as a token, and reassures her that Rama will rescue her.
To prove his strength, Hanuman destroys Ashoka Vatika, defeats Ravana’s warriors, and allows himself to be captured.Brought before Ravana, Hanuman warns him to return Sita. When mocked, his tail is set on fire—he uses it to burn down parts of Lanka before leaping back across the sea.
He returns joyfully to Rama with Sita’s message and her jewel (chudamani).
The picture above shows Hanuman’s meeting with Sita in Ashokvatika and Sita giving him Chudamani to give it to her beloved Ram.
Yuddha Kanda of Ramayana
This is the sixth section of Ramayana and it is the climax, filled with war scenes.
Rama, aided by the Vanaras, builds a bridge across the ocean (Rama Setu). Then the great battle begins between Rama’s army of Vanaras and Ravana’s Rakshasas.
There are a lot of war scenes here with Ravana’s son incapacitating and binding Rama and Lakshmana with the serpent weapon (Nagastra).Hanuman then brings Sanjeevani herb from the Himalayas to revive Lakshmana. When Ravana sees a lot of heroic warrior getting killed he tries to wake his sleeping brother Kumbhakarna who is Ravana’s giant brother. He wakes up only to fights bravely but is slained by Rama.
Finally, Rama faces Ravana and then kills Ravana with the Brahmastra.And crowns Vibhishana (Ravana’s righteous brother) as king of Lanka.
Rama is reunited with Sita, but to prove her purity she undergoes the Agni Pariksha (trial by fire), emerging unscathed.The Vanaras bid farewell, and Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana return to Ayodhya in the Pushpaka Vimana.
The above image shows the heroic efforts of the soldiers to wake Kumbakharna.
Uttar Kanda of Ramayana
It serves as an epilogue, tying up the story but also adding a note of tragedy.
Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya and are crowned in a grand celebration as the king and queen of Ayodhya
Though all seems well, rumors spread in the kingdom questioning Sita’s chastity, despite her fire-ordeal. To uphold his duty as king and preserve public trust, Rama makes the painful decision to exile Sita, even while she is pregnant.
Sita finds shelter in the hermitage of Sage Valmiki, where she gives birth to twins, Lava and Kusha.The boys grow up learning the Ramayana from Valmiki, and later, during a recital in Ayodhya, Rama recognizes them as his sons.
Sita enters Ayodhya , but is once again asked to prove her chastity . So she chooses to return to Mother Earth, her divine mother, who takes her back into her womb.
In the end, Rama rules Ayodhya for many years before going back to his abode. He was after all the seventh avatar of Vishnu, who was born on this earth to rescue people and show them the righteous path.
The picture above shows the earth splitting up to take back Sita in to her folds.
Now tell me, isn’t this a wonderful way to retell the Ramayana to your kids?
So this Dasara/Navaratri take them to a doll display nearby and introduce them to our wonderful heritage.This is how stories get preserved and shared across generations through material culture, which is a historical/cultural perspective.
What do you think?
If you would like to know more about Bombe Habba or golu dolls then check out this photo story of golu dolls here.
Note to Educator & Parents:
Bombe Habba or the Dasara dolls are not mere pastimes alone. There are valuable as learning material. During Dasara these dolls are part of homes, temples, events and even shops. So take your children to any of these and retell Indian stories.
A visit to such places can also aid teaching of social science and history. Here is how.
- In Class 6’s New Questions and Ideas, students are introduced to the Ramayana as part of India’s epic traditions. There is an introduction of janapadas, mahajanapadas, and early rulers.Ramayana stories (like Ayodhya, Rama’s exile, kingdoms of Lanka and Kishkindha) can be connected here as cultural reflections of ancient polity. You can also discuss about religious teachers, debates, and epics as sources of cultural history.Epics like the Ramayana are explicitly mentioned as itihasa-purana traditions.Dolls can be shown as a way communities still keep these traditions alive.
- In Class 7’s Bhakti-Sufi Traditions, retellings and devotional practices are highlighted — just like the dolls that bring Ramayana episodes alive during Dasara.
- At the senior level, Class 12’s Themes in Indian History explores epics as cultural foundations, which exhibitions like this continue to celebrate. Class 12 includes Cultural Traditions in Early India and Religious Histories.Ramayana and Mahabharata are treated as epics that shaped Indian thought, art, and performance traditions. Dolls are a material representation of this cultural continuity.