Origin: Golu dolls are part of the eco-friendly, decorative ritual of Navratri. These Golu dolls were originated in the century during the reign of Nayaka and Maratha at Tanjore.

Technique: The rich mud for the clay dolls are collected from the river beds. The mud along with silt is soaked in water for about 5-6 hours. It is then kneaded into dough for quite some time and is soaked in the water again for a couple of hours. The wet dough is then placed on the mold. A small amount of force is applied to the dough to set the impression right on the figurine. The sharp edges are smoothed out. The process of drying takes about 5-6 days to completely harden without any moisture. Two days in shade, sun dried for a day and fired in a kiln. They are then dolled up with beautiful acrylic paints of bright hues and dried.

Modernization: In recent days, the Golu dolls are utilized for story-telling and also as home and office decors.