Traditions of the bygone era, changing the narrative of today
Married off at the age of 16 in Nagaur, Rajasthan, Gulab Devi now 37, a shy and timid girl was oblivious to the fact that one day she will embark on a journey of weaving her own narrative. What started as closed door lessons of stitching dolls have now proliferated into a full-fledged business run by Gulab Devi and the women of her community.
The tradition of doll making in Rajasthan is an age-old practice. The origins of this craft can be traced back to the reign of Amar Singh Rathore who was the ruler of Nagaur in the 17th century. Since then, doll-making has been etched into the indigenous handicrafts of the state.
Soon after her marriage, Gulab Devi’s mother-in-law started teaching her the process of doll-making which are popularly known as ‘gudde-gudiya’ in Hindi. “It’s been almost 20 years now, I used to follow the instructions of my mother-in-law inch by inch. Initially, it was difficult but now my hands run like a machine.” said Gulab Devi reminiscing her initial days of stitching dolls.
Whenever we hear the word ‘dolls,’ an image of a feeble girl holding a doll in her hands comes to our mind. But, many women like Gulab Devi are changing this imagery. For them, doll making is not a passive activity that they take up in the afternoons to pass their time but it is a skill that is opening up new avenues of entrepreneurship for them. “Beta, women in our community sit together and make dolls and other artifacts like ghoda (horses), birds, bhandanwars (festoons), keychains and more. Not only that, we sell our creations all over the country and pool in money to help each other,” noted Gulab Devi with a sense of pride clearly visible on her face.
The process of making these dolls require a lot of patience; designing, carving, collecting different coloured cloths, stuffing and stitching each part with cotton calls for meticulous attention. Sharing the highs and lows of each other’s lives, laughing and giggling through the process, working painstakingly for hours, these dolls are produced that ultimately adorn our homes.
This tradition has a strong legacy and women pass it down from one generation to another. The grit and determination to take this tradition forward can be seen through the various initiatives taken by the community women. Gulab Devi mentioned that artisans like her go and visit many schools and organisations in their locality and beyond to teach this craft. This way they aim to empower more girls and make them self-reliant.
Although the government is taking up many initiatives to empower rural women, there still exist some regressive beliefs and customs that need to be shunned. Describing one such custom, Gulab Devi who herself is the mother of three girls and one boy, says, “When a boy is born in our village, we hang a green parrot (pointing towards the wooden carving of a parrot hanging over her head) in front of the house as a symbol of joy; we don’t do that when a girl is born, but you see, that parrot is made by a woman only.” She hopes to change this custom in the future.
The story of Gulab devi delineates a narrative of change and it is not just about making dolls but about how this culturally loaded craft lends confidence and power to the rural women. That feeble girl is now a strong woman, she has changed the symbol of weakness into strength.
Just before getting back to her customers who were curiously looking at the dolls showcased at her stall, Gulab Devi beautifully summed up the future for us, as she said, “Women will take the culture of this country forward, badlaav dheere dheere aega (things are bound to change gradually.) Thus, carving a new sky for rural women.
