Golu displays that tell stories beyond tradition

CHENNAI: What if a Golu could take you into the world of the Cholas, lead you through a South Indian temple or bring back memories of celebrating Navaratri with your family? For some Chennai households, the annual tradition is an opportunity to tell stories. Each display explores how Golu can connect people with their heritage, memories and one another.

A tribute to the Cholas through Ponniyin Selvan

When visitors look at Ramya Shankar’s Golu, they might recognise a character from Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan films before identifying the historical figure behind it. For Ramya, that moment of recognition is what makes her theme worthwhile. “I have always felt that the Chola dynasty deserves so much more recognition than it receives today,” she says, pointing to the dynasty’s contributions to architecture, temple construction, administration, trade and maritime expeditions. Her display is a personal tribute to the Chola kings and their legacy, drawing inspiration from Kalki Krishnamurthy’s celebrated historical novel and the renewed interest generated by its film adaptations.

Ponniyin Selvan offers a compelling entry point into a larger historical world. Ramya wanted her Golu to give visitors a glimpse of that world, including those who may not have read the novel. She finds it amusing when visitors identify a character by the actor who portrayed them rather than by the character’s name. Yet she sees this familiarity as an opportunity to spark conversations about the story and the history behind it.

Translating a richly imagined literary world into a physical display presented its own challenges. The palaces, costumes and settings that readers visualise while reading the novel had to be recreated within the practical constraints of a Golu arrangement. The setup took a day, followed by another day of photographing the display, with adjustments along the way to bring the overall vision together.

For Ramya, Golu need not be restricted to deities and mythology. She believes traditions should evolve and make room for new ideas while retaining their essence. If the display encourages even a few visitors to explore Kalki’s novel or learn more about the Cholas, she considers it a meaningful way to celebrate Tamil literature and history.

Aalayam: A divine temple tour powered by technology

What if a visit to a traditional South Indian temple could be experienced through a Golu display at home? That is the idea behind Vijay Rajan N and his family’s Aalayam: A Divine Temple Tour, an elaborate presentation comprising 35 themes and sub-themes.

Conceived as a journey through temple life, the display takes visitors through a Golu mandapam and temple gopurams to the mada veedhi, theppakulam, goshalai, sannidhis, chariot processions and prasadam seva. Each section represents a different aspect of temple life, bringing together architecture, rituals, spirituality and community life.

The family has also incorporated technology to animate parts of the display. A moving golden chariot, a moving ther veethi ula model and an AI-assisted Kumbhabhishegam presentation add movement and visual interest to the traditional arrangement. For Rajan, however, technology is meant to enhance the experience rather than replace the spiritual essence of Golu.

The preparation involved months of conceptualisation and around five months of dedicated work. The family planned the themes, sourced dolls and props, designed the layouts and coordinated the arrangements across multiple floors and rooms. One of the challenges was ensuring that the 35 sections retained their individual identities while contributing to a coherent temple journey.

Beyond the grand deities and illuminated chariot, Rajan says, the smaller details matter too. Scenes depicting prasadam seva and temple administration draw attention to the service, discipline and collective effort that sustain a temple. The family hopes the display will encourage younger visitors to engage with their cultural heritage through a combination of traditional storytelling and technology.

The family’s efforts earned recognition from the India Book of Records in 2024 and World Records India for its 2025 Golu achievement, which was recognised in 2026. Yet Rajan sees the experience primarily as a family endeavour and an opportunity to share traditions with visitors. The display is open to visitors at 43 Sakthi Vinayagar Koil Street, Vinayagapuram, Ambattur.

Bringing the spirit of Golu to a retirement home

At a retirement home, the most meaningful part of Golu may not be the grandeur of the display but the sight of residents dressing up for the festival, joining the puja and recalling celebrations with their families. That is the experience the Mylapore Trio, comprising Amarnath, Aparna and Surendranath, hopes to create through its initiative to introduce thematic Golus at a retirement home.

The trio has created two displays at different locations. At the retirement home, the main theme explores Shaivam and Vaishnavam, presenting their deities, stories, temples and philosophical traditions through carefully arranged dolls. At their own home, the second display explores Dvayam Tattvam, the idea of pairs and dualities, through religious figures and stories.

The initiative is rooted in the cultural and philanthropic values instilled in the trio by their foster parents, Sunkhi and Rajasekaran. Having promoted cultural activities among younger generations, they wanted to extend the experience to senior citizens, many of whom live apart from their children and grandchildren.

Aparna recalls encouraging residents to bring out their traditional sarees and clothes and dress up for the celebrations. Some asked their children to send their clothes so they could participate. The festivities have grown into social gatherings where residents perform puja, receive prasadam, sing and recite slokas, and learn about the stories behind the dolls.

Daily morning and evening aarti, naivedyam and storytelling sessions help recreate familiar festival routines. Residents also call their children to share that they have performed puja that day, bringing their families into the experience even from a distance. Surendranath says residents often sit for half an hour or longer to listen to the stories, despite the discomfort that can accompany age and health concerns.