Vivardhini Handicrafts

  MARAPACHI BOMMAI Bommai or dolls, are part of every child’s life, but ever wondered what dolls looked like before mass production or ones made with materials like plastic, cloth or metals became common? Wood was probably one of the earliest material used to craft toys and dolls and one such unique type of dolls is called the Marapachi Bommai(wooden dolls). They were traditionally handcrafted in either rosewood or redwood. These days they are made from other hard woods as well.   These dolls are a legacy in South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. They are carved in pairs, typically to denote a bride and groom. They are usually given to a newly married couple as part of the wedding trousseau by the bride’s mother. They are handed down generations and become part of the Navarathri Golu that the new bride starts in her new home, where she goes on to expand her collection of other dolls to display.   The beauty of these dolls lies in the fa...

 TODA TRIBE Interested in knowing about the tribal people living in India?  According to the 2011 census carried out by the Government of India, there are about 10.42 crore tribal people living across India and nearly 90% of that population live in rural areas. Each tribe is unique in their own way, their physical appearances, the language they speak, the customs they follow etc, are all unique to each and every one of them. While there is a lot of information available online about the various tribes, we would like to present some details about the Toda Tribe.  They are one of oldest tribes living in the Nilgiri mountains in South India. Some reports say that they have been living in this region for the last 3500 years.  There are various theories regarding their origin. They traditionally live in settlements called, Mund. Each settlement usually consists of  three to seven small thatched houses. They have their own language which does not have a script. T...