Halloween haunting - let's get the creep on!

Hi there Aalayam family!

Let’s get straight down to business today – the  spooktacular business of Halloween! Typically, I tend to ignore Halloween (in spite of running into a pop-up costume store at every corner this time of the year!). Halloween is smack in the middle of Dasara and Diwali festivities and I’d rather spend the one weekend in between enjoying nature’s colorful display outdoors than switching gears between festivities. 

This year, however, my maternity leave allows me a little more time (or not?!) and I figured, I’d get into the spirit of the season and create a photo booth with hints of Halloween for our family. 

I took the decorating down to our basement to amp up the creepiness! Well, the lighting is going to pose some serious challenges for photography but I’ll let the husband deal with that!

 So, here is a pretty basic, low-key vignette in Halloween staples and autumnal hues. 

Ideally, I would’ve loved to include a seasonal DIY and some handmade accessories (for that personal touch) but something’s gotta give when you have a newborn (I reasoned) and reluctantly settled for a scattering of store bought Halloween props to create this simple and inexpensive vignette. 

Now, if you are hosting a Spooky Soiree – you could create something similar and add some Halloween-esque glam to your candy or the buffet table.  If ghouls, goblins and eerie spiders are not your thing, then just stick to a seasonal color palette to bring in the Halloween flavor. Remember too, the Dollar store is a great place to shop for seasonal décor and props without breaking the bank.  Halloween allows us to escape into a world of imagination and BE A CHILD AGAIN and I hope you all pack plenty of fun into your décor this year!

And how about the costumes? 

Are you brave enough to tackle a DIY costume this Halloween? Well, my husband was and I must say I am mighty impressed with the end result! He is a HUGE Game of Thrones fan and this Halloween; he decided he wanted to be a Son of the Harpy – the masked insurgent rebelling against the queen Daenerys Targaryen (for those of you not following the popular HBO series). 

I must confess that I had my doubts about his abilities as a crafter and I argued that he was setting himself up for failure by taking on the fierce golden mask with its symbolic horns. 

But I guess nothing can stand in the way of a die-hard fan and a wannabe Westeros resident – not even the wife’s skepticism! 

 His DIY costume is the outcome of painstaking labor, single-minded focus and can-do spirit!  I guess there is something to be said about the joy of making your own costume. The whole family got to weigh in and this homemade costume was indeed a game changer for us this year making Halloween more memorable.

 So, what face are you putting on this Halloween as you step out into a dark and creepy autumn night?

Or maybe, you want to pass up on the spookiness all together and I wouldn’t blame you at all! You could still commemorate the season – the colors and the crisp evenings and honor the essence of fall via decorating your porch with nature’s bounty or taking some family portraits. Maybe  your prefer to simply relax and get used to the dawdling year-end rhythm. After all, summer is a busy time of the year for many of us and perhaps it is time to wind down and enjoy quiet evenings in the cozy comfort of home by a warm fire!

Thanks for joining us this Halloween! Next up – the Festival of Lights and our annual Diwali edition that I am so looking forward to! Join me then, won’t you ?

Now, let's dig through our archives for a throwback at our previous Halloween posts  - here and here 

Cheers!

~Deepa

p.s: All images in this post are from my home and taken by my husband and may not be used without permission.

Aalayam Dasara Bombe Party - the winner is.....

Namma Mane Habba!

When I was canvassing actively for Dasara Bombe Habba pictures, my best friend from school reached out to me on Facebook and asked 

"I wish I could send in something Suppi! But we don't have bombe tradition in our home. I'm itching to write something from a rather different angle but related though, just not sure...would you accept it? "

I said "Why not?", because what is celebration, if not personalization? Adding a little bit of yourself to the ceremony, to make the tradition more meaningful, more real. I was so moved by Divya, my friend's entry, which touches your heart and takes you around the world, that I decided to dedicate a post in itself for it! 

Here goes! Listen to Divya share about "Namma Mane Habba" (The Festival in our Home!)

Love, Supriya

Many of my Dasara holidays were spent at my grandparents' hometown, Mangaluru. It was a different bombe tradition, so to speak, where things came alive! The absence of the traditional bombe arrangement was made up by the 'huli vesha' - an age old traditional, regional dance form where men paint themselves in the familiar vibrant stripes of the tiger and dance to hypnotising drum beats. I remember watching the dancers dancing around in circles in the open verandah or 'angala' in front of the huge ancestral home.

Back in Bengaluru, we didn't have the tradition of bombe arrangement. But that didn't lessen my spirits during the festivities. We little girls would get all dolled up and visit neighbours and 'ooh' and 'aah' at every display and leave content with all the yummy treats we were offered.

After I married and became part of the Tam-Brahm community, I was introduced to 'Golu'. Again, although my in laws' home does not have the tradition of Golu, it still stayed on in the form of visiting friends and family who followed it. The new daughter-in-law was softly urged to sing for the divine Devi and I would go red faced, trying to recollect something from what my mum had taught me years ago :)

Now, here in Australia, we haven't started anything new. Yet. I'm not sure if we will do an actual Golu, though the idea tempts me. I'm sure it's a wonderful way of getting my kids excited and interested. A beautiful concept to keep our culture alive.

For now, I'm blessed with my little, real-life doll, Sia, who came into our lives on the first night of Navaratri. This year, I dressed her up!

Happy Navarathri,

Love,
Divya

Dasara Bombe Party - Episode 2

Onward we go, reveling in the gorgeous ethnic splendor of the pictures and stories shared by you this Dasara. Aalayam feels truly honored to be a vehicle to bring your fond Dasara imagery to the world!

Welcome to the Dasara Bombe Party – Episode 2

Deepa Gopalarathnam - Image 1

Deepa Gopalarathnam 

The village in my Golu, which I would like to call Thillaistanam, after my own in my hometown of Thanjavur, depicts a typical morning in a village. The paddy fields are being ploughed by oxen and saplings are being planted, a cartful of grain is ready to be transported on a bullock cart, the vegetable seller is going about her business of selling organic vegetables, typically grown on the small patch of land she owns. 

A family is celebrating Pongal and the Pongal is being made and offered to Surya Bhagavan in front of their home as a thanking gesture for a great harvest that they have been blessed with.

The 2 big dolls are a signature of Tanjavur, the ' Tanjavur Thalai Aati ' bommais that are famous all around the world.

Bhavana - Image 1

Bhavana Hanchimane 

I hail from Karnataka. Dasara, as you know very well, is big in that state. It's our Nada habba. I love the festivities associated with this festival. The dolls, the pooje, the banni leaves ritual....., 

I, too, am in the US and festivals such as these are my links to the good old days.

My dolls/bombes are very close to my heart as I remember who has gifted me each one.

The dashavatara, for instance, was gifted to me by my chikkamma ( younger maternal aunt), The pattadha-bombes by my mom during my wedding, Vasudeva carrying Krishna, by a very close friend of my mom and so on.

When I arrange these dolls, I remember them, the day I received them. Everything. Somehow that makes me feel that they are all a part of my festival here.

My favorite one for this year is my newest addition, Nasreddin Hodja. Remember reading about him in Tinkle?!!  I picked him up on my recent trip to Turkey. He is so adorable and so is his donkey. :) 

Bhavana - Image 2

Prasanna - Image 1

Prasanna Tummala 

Each and every doll/statue of this display is special to me, as each one is collected by my over the years. Living in the country away from where you were born and raised makes it challenging to instill your cultures and traditions within your children. 

But I feel I have passed and blessed when I see my 8 year old little girl creating her own display besides mine.

Deepa Ramakrishnan - Image 1

Deepa Ramakrishnan 

The tradition of Navarathri Golu for me is about celebrating the 'Shakthi' within all of us.I think of it as a time to refocus and channel my inner strength to achieve my dreams by soaking in the positive energy that emanates from the golu. 

I enjoy collecting Ganeshas and I am constantly on the lookout for unique figurines. 

Happy Navarathri! More happiness to you all!

Gayathri - Image 1

Gayathri Sanjay

Dusshera (Golu) is such a creative representation of the Indian epics and also a reminder of the colorful and rich culture we grew up with.  

I'm nostalgic putting together these pieces and being one with such ethnicity

Gowri Vikram and  Shreedevi Rao (Daughter and Mom duo)

This is the picture of the Saraswathi Puja done by my parents today for Navarathri, My mom stitched the saree for her doll which is 62 years old! Her Veena is also 52 years old.

Gowri's mom - Image 1

I want to wish all of you a Happy Saraswathi Habba! Today, I made my kids do the Puja in our home, here's a picture of the Goddess Saraswati, in her resplendent glory!

Gowri - Image 1

It is heartwarming to be able to partake in your festivities, to hear your sweet stories, and to share your enthusiasm! The Dasara Bombe Party was so popular this year at Aalayam, Deepa and I are planning to make this an annual tradition!

Before we go, we want to share with you some more Golu pictures, some that our readers and friends, like Sangeetha and Suchitra shared, and some from Deepa and my Bombe Habba tableaux!

Sangeetha - Image 1

Suchitra - Image 1

Suchitra - Image 2

Suchitra - Image 3

We feel a pang of melancholy that the Habba is drawing to a close this year, but we will sharpen those storyboarding pencils, as we create our "kathas" for next year to set the Bombes on the stage we create, in our homes, with our families!

But for now, enjoy Deepa's rendition of the musical ensemble of Kalaimani Columbus Sisters! 

Replete with Bombe baagina (divine offering) with her mom's scrumptious besan ladoo. 

Deepa - Image 1

And presenting  too the Ashta Lakshmi congregation from Deepa's abode!

Deepa - Image 2

Supriya - Image 1

Finally, the labor of love from my household, this Dasara! 

The Ten-headed Ravana (the ten headed demon king who kidnapped the heroine of Ramayana) take center stage in the Ramayana themed ensemble wall display!!

What fun it was to design the Ravana masks, shop for supplies and put our creative heads (ha ha, pun intended!) together (all girls in the house, including my twin 6 year olds!) to bring the Ravanas to life!

That’s what festivals do, they act as fertile ground for creating memories, for fostering the sense of community and for strengthening relationships (yes, even the tumultuous ones!) .

Happy Dasara everyone! 

Dasara Bombe Party - Episode 1!

Happy Navaratri all!! 

Here’s unfolding Episode 1 of the joyous Dasara Bombe Party!

Thank you all for sending in your pictures and heart felt Dasara Bombe stories to Aalayam. Your pictures and stories are making our Dasara Bombe Habba rich, layered and textured.

And we are blown away by your enthusiasm, zest and passion! Your pictures and stories are reinforcing our belief that we are doing good, to keep up the age-old, but well-worn traditions in these modern times, to suit our convenience, and to fuel our creative energies!

It's so exciting to see various affectionate renderings of the well-loved bombes, and the stories surrounding each picture!! 

Without much ado, I present to the Aalayam family, your Bombe pictures and stories!

Shyla Kodi - Image 1

Shyla Kodi 

Coming from Karnataka, "Mysooru Jumboo Savari"(Dasara procession) is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Navaraathri. 

Dasara is considered as "Naada Habba" (state festival), which symbolizes the tradition and rich cultural history of the state and Jumboo Savari is a glimpse of that.  

I was thrilled when I found these beautiful, hand painted dolls and decided to display them as main theme for our first gombe habba, home away from home.

Shyla Kodi - Image 2

Soumya Balasubramani 

Navrathri on our home is a season of abundance - of festivity, dolls, dance and of course delicacies. 

I love the whole creative process: setting up, unwrapping the dolls that have been tucked away safely for a whole year, sharing stories about them with my son as we set up and having friends over to share our culture with them. 

Soumya Balasubramani - Image 1

We have been fortunate enough to inherit some dolls that are more than 35 years old from my husband's home as well as mine. We grew up seeing some of these dolls in our golu and it is nostalgic to be able to share them with generation next now. 

Soumya Balasubramani - Image 2

For me it is extremely important to make children feel like they are a part of the process and this year's 'Houston' -complete with NASA, the never ending construction and the Houston zoo by my son is an attempt at that.

Soumya Balasubramani - Image 3

Over the years we have also had friends from different parts of the world give us dolls to add to our collection and it has been wonderful to see our golu grow from Indian to global.

Happy Navrathri to all!

Soumya Balasubramani - Image 4

Gowri - Image 1

Gowri Vikram

Dasara doll festival is celebrated during Navaratri. I want to talk about my Pattada Gombe.

These are a pair of Rosewood dolls which I have dressed very colorfully using paper, silk and sequence material. These dolls are always dressed in traditional attire. Pattada Gombe depicts Lord Narayana and Goddess Lakshmi who take the form of King and Queen (Husband and Wife) and take part in Dasara festivities. 

These Pattada Gombes are the main dolls , and are given special importance in Bombe Habba. These dolls were handed over to me during my wedding by my parents to continue with the tradition of our Bombe Habba.

Suparna - Image 1

Suparna Rao 

My mother has always loved this unique festival of Bombe Habba and this has always been a time of fanfare, enthusiasm and fond memories for me. And over the years, while I have always enjoyed every bit of the process, from the careful unpacking to the loving display, I think Navaratri has taken on a whole new meaning with the arrival of my daughter.

She has inherited my mother's love for the dolls and together, they have spent many a happy hour planning themes and arranging the display. It's so heartening for me to see my mom's happiness at seeing her enthusiasm reflected in her granddaughter's eyes.

We try to add to the collection every year. And there are some old favorites that make an unfailing appearance. But, regardless of what dolls grace our house each year, I am most thankful and blessed for the precious memories being made and bonds that are being strengthened each time October rolls around.

Sridevi - Image 1

Sridevi 

Happy Dasara.

A combination of Music and Yoga is the answer to a blissful life!

Suman - Image 1

Suman

This Golu was special because it was the very 1st Golu we kept in 1998, when my kids were 6 and 4. 

The kids actually decorated the bottom 2 steps. Years later the tradition continues with bigger and grander displays, but the 1st is always the most special.

Amazing right? Poignant, Picturesque and Perfect!! 

This community Dasara celebration is not over yet! 

Just when you thought you had the best time browsing through the images shared by the bombe aficionados around the world, you are in for  more treats in the upcoming  

Dasara Bombe Party - Episode 2 (this episode includes pictures from Deepa and my Bombe display!!) 

Stay tuned!

Love,

Supriya