TranslatePapier-mâché in Tamil Nadu is used mainly for dolls, masks and festival figures, valued because it is far lighter than clay and less prone to breaking. It is the material behind many Thanjavur nodding dolls, Navaratri golu figures and the oversized masks used in folk theatre and temple processions.
Origin district
Thanjavur, Kumbakonam, Chennai and Madurai
Materials
Waste paper pulp, tamarind seed paste or gum, chalk primer, paints
Typical uses
Golu dolls, masks, festival figures, decorative items
Where to buy
Thanjavur workshops, Mylapore and Kanchipuram doll markets, Poompuhar
Waste paper is soaked, pulped and mixed with a natural adhesive such as tamarind seed paste. The pulp is pressed into moulds or built up over a form in layers, then dried thoroughly in the sun. The hardened piece is coated with a chalk primer to give a smooth surface and hand-painted in bright colours.
Larger figures are made in sections and joined, and hollow construction keeps even big pieces light enough to carry easily.
The technique was adopted by doll makers as a lighter alternative to terracotta, and it now accounts for a large share of Thanjavur nodding dolls and Navaratri golu figures. Masks made in papier-mâché are used in folk performance traditions and in temple processions, where weight matters because they are worn or carried for hours.
Doll workshops in Thanjavur produce papier-mâché figures year-round. The seasonal golu doll markets in Chennai's Mylapore and in Kanchipuram, held in the weeks before Navaratri, offer the widest choice. Poompuhar emporiums stock them throughout the year.
