For Lalitha Prasad, 70, Dasara is not just a festival to display dolls, but an occasion to make dolls herself. Over the past 15 years, she has handcrafted more than 1,500 dolls on over 20 different themes, ranging from Yoga and Surya Namaskara to depictions of women critics, marriage ceremonies, mythology, and history.

Her cotton-stuffed dolls have hand-stitched costumes and jewellery, including minute details like earrings and bindi. Ms. Prasad makes new dolls every year and painstakingly arranges them at her house in Bengaluru. Though she has received offers to display her dolls both outside the State and the country, she has turned them down and continues to display them only at her house during the Navaratri festival.

Not just making new dolls and displaying them, but preserving them for years is also a key task that requires a lot of work as the dolls have to be restitched and repacked after the celebrations are over.

Ms. Prasad’s daughter Rashmi Manohar said that making these dolls was her mother’s great passion. “She talks to her dolls, she sings for them. She sees them not as objects, but as carriers of stories and traditions. The main reason she puts this much effort in making the dolls is to make sure future generations understand what Dasara dolls, known as Pattada Gombe, truly signify, and the legacy that they carry,” Ms. Manohar said.

Despite health and age-related challenges, including recurring back and shoulder pain, Ms. Prasad continues to nurture her craft. Her daughter admits that the family has requested her to slow down, but her dedication remains constant. “For her, this is not just an art form, but a way of keeping culture that fosters creativity and community spirit alive,” Ms. Manohar said.