North Mada Street has been completely taken over by the vendors who have spread their wares all over the platforms and at every nook and corner of the street. Dolls are sourced from Chinna Kancheepuram, Panruti, Cuddalore, Villianur and Kancheepuram. With hardly a proper place to stay, the vendors face the vagaries of the weather to do good business. For many, it is a family affair. They land here with their siblings, children, spouses and even their grannies to help them hand out the dolls to the customers.
L. Karthikeyan is one such boy studying in Class 8 in a high school in Avadi. He has accompanied his mother Ammu to help in the sales. “This is the fourth year I have come here to sell dolls. I simply love to describe the dolls to the customers. I get to interact with a totally different stratum of the society who listen to my descriptions intently before taking the final decision to buy.” This does not affect his studies as he comes here only during his school holidays. “It is actually a festival for me and I love this traditional fervour that sets in at Mylapore at this time of the year,” said Karthik. Bhavani and her siblings who have also set shop on the platform have a spread of 3-feet tall dolls. “We buy the figurines from Bommaikara Theru near the Varadarajaperumal Temple in Kancheepuram,” she says. The huge dolls are generally displayed just before the onset of the festival. These were made a year before. As soon as they reach home, they apprise the doll makers about the kind of dolls that were in demand and those that are likely to be in demand next year. “This is what helps to sustain the business,” said the family unanimously. Some of their 3-feet tall figurines include the Dasavatharam (Rs. 22, 500), Kaalinganardhanam (Rs. 5500) and Samomohana Krishna (Rs. 7500).
Originally written for DTNext, read more at https://www.dtnext.in/Lifestyle/Culture/2016/09/29211556/Selling-is-a-big-fat-family-affair.vpf