Mangaluru : Gombe Habba or doll festival is one of the most important festivities observed during the Dasara season.

While it catches the imagination of people of all ages, it is a joy for young children whose creativity comes alive during the festival of dolls. In the spirit of reviving our cultural heritage and enriching young minds, Early Learning Centre (ELC) celebrated ‘Gombe Habba’ with a lot of pomp and grandeur. Students and teachers joined in making and putting up a beautiful display of traditional dolls. Most of the dolls were handmade and arranged as per the traditional nine-step method.

The ‘Gombe Habba’ gets bigger and better every year, with a multitude of dolls being displayed on varying themes. Clay dolls, wooden dolls, dolls made from local materials such as coconut shells and bamboo, dolls depicting different life events and favourite dolls of children were all put on display.

A special feature of the event this year was that every visitor to the ‘Gombe Habba’ was presented with handmade dolls, crafted by children with special needs from Saanidhya Residential School and Training Centre.

Each gifted doll was hand-crafted by the children of ‘Saanidhya’ using traditional techniques. ELC upholds the philosophy that an individual should be given the opportunity to utilise his or her potential in order to live with dignity and respect.

This was also one way of promoting the creative side of these children.