First, let us get the usual steps out of the way...... Here they are, with the usual dolls...
Yes, I know we have seen enough dolls over the last week, but these are the only ones here which need to be highlighted - some representations of famous personalities as well as tribals...
Now for the most interesting thing...
Heres a first look.... Can you guess what all is there? and how it is arranged?
Before I get to the individual pieces, let me tell you what this is - The Golu is a two tier one, the upper one representing an American town, and the lower one, an Indian village.. talk about contrasts!!!
The person who makes all this retired from his government job quite a few years ago. This is his hobby, something he spends more than half the year on! To see his attention to detail, and his immense talent, look at the intricate details in these pics. I wish I could upload the pics in their original size, but alas, my google account is full, and there is just no more place for pics... Hence, these are all embedded from my Picasa albums.....
Now, lets go, take a closer look....
Let's start with the most interesting thing here.... A McDonalds!!! If you look closer, you can see the serving counters inside!
See the play area next door?
Doesnt it make you want to get right in?
Look at these apartments....
This one is the same, with the lights on...
Heres a shopping centre...
A house...
Another house...
And a petrol pump...
Now lets move below the table, to the Indian village...
Here are the fields... with farmers harvesting the crops.
Heres a marriage procession, a temple, and a pond....
A bullock cart carrying hay, completely hand made!
And the different types of houses....
These trees have also been made, not bought! Did you see those trees near the houses in the pictures above? Those have also been made!
Here is the creator, with his creations....
And finally, here is a video of the whole arrangement...
By now, some of you may be wondering why I have just mentioned this as the 'Best Golu I have seen so far', and not 'Best golu I have EVER seen!'.... Have any of you wondered?????????
Well, there happens to be the answer to this too.... I have seen some Golus made by him earlier... That was before I began blogging, so no wonder you didnt get to see them! And each one has been as good, if not better! He keeps most of his creations intact, at least the important ones, and also has video recordings of each golu, so I have been able to see his earlier ones too.. the ones I missed!
Here are some such earlier creations, showcased all over his house....
This one is my favourite! One which he made years ago, before I was fortunate enough to see his work.....Can you guess what it is?
It happens to be a replica of a railway station, modelled on the one at Dadar... Look at the kind of details he has incorporated... all the pics below are from the same set...
I have not mentioned any names here, because I did not ask permission, but he is quite well known in his locality, for his creations appear regularly in the local papers... After all, how can anyone not appreciate such hard work and dedication???
I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!
