Miniature Golden Dolls of Panruti, Tamil Nadu

Clay dolls are hand-molded in Panruti, a village in Tamil Nadu, and depict rural scenes, goats, birds, gods and goddesses, and the ever-popular Chettiar couple. Panruti dolls are also popular at the Dasara Kolu Festival.

Thanjavur, Villupuram, Panruti, Kumbakonam, and Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu are all well-known for their dolls, but Vilachery (Madurai) and Kosapettai (Chennai) are more well-known for their consistency, ingenuity, and large-scale manufacturing.

The dolls are in high demand during festivals such as Navratri and Vinayaka Chaturthi. During the off season however, the craftsmen search for other work.

While clay dolls have long been revered and sought after both locally and internationally, doll makers report a drop in sales in recent years.