| Shankar's International Dolls Museum |
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| Set up in 1965 in the building of Children's
Book Trust, Shankar's International Dolls Museum or Delhi Dolls
Museum has today over 6500 dolls on display representing the
social life and culture of over 85 countries of the world. Inaugurated
by the President of India, Dr. S. Radhakrishan and named after
its creator, the renowned political cartoonist, K Shankar Pillai,
the museum has one of the largest collections of costume dolls
in the world. Started with just thousand dolls, the museum is
quite popular with Indian citizens and foreign dignitaries because
of its large number of variety of exhibits. The museum is at
present is divided into two sections. One section house exhibits
from European countries, the USA, Australia and New Zealand
and some other countries while the other section has exhibits
from Asian countries like India, the Middle East and Africa.
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| Dressed in their respective regional costumes,
the dolls represent the social life, culture, climate and folklore
of the region or place they come from. Thus, the museum can
aptly be described as the confluence or meeting place of various
acculturations and social life of the world. Of all the exhibits,
nearly one-third of the total number of dolls belongs to different
parts of our country showcasing India's vast and varied social
life and tradition. |
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| Though all the dolls displayed in the museum
are attractive and worth viewing but still there are some dolls
that deserves a special mention. Among the Indian ones, the
costume dolls of Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and that of some
ethnic tribes should not be missed. A 250 year-old doll from
Switzerland, the Kabuki Dancer of Japan, costume doll from Bulgaria,
Indonesia's bridal pairs, Australian Maoris, Mexican Aborigines
and dolls from African countries are worth giving a second look.
The overall outlook of these dolls speaks a lot about their
region's cultural history, their mythologies and folklore. Apart
from these there are also special displays in the museum based
on specific themes like Mahatma Gandhi's Dandi March, a forest
scene, a Kathakali dance, man on moon and many other ones that
attracts the visitants. |
| The museum also has a Dolls Workshop and a Dolls
Designing Center of its own, which makes Indian dolls with accurate
details. A lot of research is put in and the minutest details
are taken care off like features, dress, jewellery and posture
when a doll is made. There is an interesting collection just
near the museum of over 150 kinds of authentic Indian costume
dolls made at Dolls Workshop. The museum provides the facility
of exchanging unique dolls and also sells in India and abroad.
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