Uttarakhand folk pattern dolls to be marketed worldwide

Sandeep Rawat

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, December 25

Forget Barbie, doll lovers will soon have the option of having an Uttarakhand folk patterned doll.

Catering to a countrywide and overseas doll market, these dolls, based on traditional folk attire of Garhwali and Kumaoni region, are being created by students of the International Academy of Fashion Technology, Haridwar.

Already, an order for 30,000 Uttarakhand folk attire dolls has been placed by the US-based handicraft-doll retailer Lyno Osmen.

To cater to this demand, IAFT Haridwar is coming up with a semi-industrial set up so that Uttarakhand dolls are marketed worldwide.

Talking to TNS, Vijay Pal, founder, IAFT, said for decades, Barbie had a global demand, but when he saw the dolls attired in Garhwali-Kumaoni and other states’ folk dresses, the idea to give them a fashion statement so that they can be marketed globally, cropped up.

“It was then that some creative students offered to research and work on doll concept, having folk dresses of the hill state. Hundreds of samples were made, of which, 50-odd were selected. Last week, we got an order for 30,000 pieces, which has boosted chances of having an international brand doll from India,” Pal stated.

Mayor Manoj Garg, while inspecting the dolls being made by the students, has assured full cooperation to ensure industrial-set up for creating Uttarakhand doll in Haridwar.

“Definitely, having a doll that portrays a hilly girl is an exciting prospect. This will not only create jobs for our youth, but also propagate Uttarakhand as an ideal religious and tourist destination,” added Garg.

Folk singer Narendra Singh Negi has congratulated students of IAFT for the hill girl doll concept, saying Uttarakhand has a rich ancient heritage and culture, which will now get an international identity.

Doll artist Kajal Pareek said giving a folk look to the doll and adding ethnic accessories makes it more appealing to the buyer.

Asha Shukla, Ruchika, Sumati Nautiyal, Arzoo Gulati, Komal, Shilpi, Simran, Kahkashan, Shaband, Santoshi, Deepika, Priyanka, Musfeeqa and Sonam Pal, who are all making various kinds of dolls based on traditional Indian folk concepts, are excited about popularising local Indian dolls.