Lakshmi Patti

Her World

Dolls

Amma’s repertoire in Doll making is unparalleled.

My memories go back to when I was 16, when I learnt doll making from Amma during the summer holidays. The initial work of stuffing straw and making the doll was tedious. But later decorating the doll with bright coloured brocade and sequins was exciting and it was very rewarding to see the completed doll.

Amma has not only made 200+ dolls, these range from single dolls to scenes to whole stories. She has created classic pieces like Anantha Sayanam, Radha Krishna, Geetha Upadesam etc. The stories she has created include Ramayana, Festivals of India and Krishna Leela.

Thanks to this huge collection, all her childrens’ Golus during Navarathri are totally adorned by these dolls.

Vishnu reclining on the coiled serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated at his feet: cloth dolls in red and gold brocade on a painted coil base
Anantha Sayanam

The dolls

20 photographs from the old site. Titles follow the family's own captions where they had them.

  • Vishnu reclining on the coiled serpent Adisesha with Lakshmi seated at his feet: cloth dolls in red and gold brocade on a painted coil base
    Anantha Sayanam
  • Radha and Krishna seated together on a swing framed in silver tinsel, in green and red brocade
    Radha and Krishna on a swing
  • Two dolls of a deity couple in gold ornaments and flower garlands standing beneath a golden arch set with mirrors and beads
    Tirupati Balaji and Padmavati gods
  • A cloth doll of Ganesha seated beneath a golden arch, with a Kerala mural style painted backdrop
    Ganesha
  • A seated goddess doll in red and gold silk with a crown, a garland and a pink halo behind her
    Raja Rajeshwari
  • Meera seated in white playing a tanpura: a cloth doll with long black hair and a painted instrument
    My Meera
  • A standing cloth doll of a woman in a yellow salwar kameez with a black and gold dupatta
    Punjabi lady
  • Seven cloth dolls of women in bright silk saris seated in a row on small wooden stools, photographed in 1997
    Women from different states
  • Painted box scene for Mattu Pongal: a village house, two decorated cows, a calf and villagers with pots against a hand-painted backdrop
    Festivals of India: Mattu Pongal
  • Painted box scene of a kitchen at Pongal: women at the stove with pots, vegetables and a lamp
    Festivals of India: Pongal
  • Painted box scene for Holi: dolls throwing colours in a courtyard with blue-washed houses behind
    Festivals of India: Holi
  • Painted box scene for Diwali: a yellow house hung with lamps and dolls holding sparklers in the courtyard
    Festivals of India: Diwali
  • Painted box scene for Navaratri: a tiered golu of dolls with women visitors and small pots in front
    Festivals of India: Navaratri
  • Doll scene of women boiling pongal in a pot, with a cow, lamps and a Tamil label reading Makara Sankaranthi
    Makara Sankranthi
  • Three standing dolls in crowns and jewelled costumes, an older photograph from the Ramayana series
    Ramayana series
  • Doll scene of sages beside a thatched hut with a typed caption card, from the Ramayana series
    Ramayana series: the hermitage
  • Doll scene of figures gathered around a bow in a court, with a typed caption card, from the Ramayana series
    Ramayana series: the bow
  • Doll scene of a wedding beneath an arched mandapam with attendants, with a caption card, from the Ramayana series
    Ramayana series: the wedding mandapam
  • A wedding scene of cloth dolls: bride and groom seated on a dais with family members gathered round
    Wedding set
  • A young Lakshmi Santhanam in a maroon sari beside her doll of the Geetha Upadesam scene: a canopied chariot with two figures, drawn by two white horses, an older photograph
    Lakshmi with her Geetha Upadesam doll

Certificates and accolades

  • Certificate of merit and appreciation from the International Doll and Educational Exhibition, Madras, for excellent dolls made and displayed at Memorial Hall, 21 to 30 November 1975
    International Doll and Educational Exhibition, Madras November 1975