Hello Dolly

Art lovers visited the world of hand-made Japanese dolls,tried on a kimono and became a samurai for an hour. They even learnt how to work with origami. All this was happening right in the heart of Delhi,at Lalit Kala Akademi,where an exhibition of traditional Edo-Kimekomi Dolls was organised by the Embassy of Japan as part of 60 years of Indo-Japanese diplomatic relations celebrations. Material as simple as wood and cloth was shaped into demure characters to present different facets of the typical Japanese lifestyle.

There was a slew of other activities as well. On a chair by a little table,sat a Japanese origami

expert — from Tokyo-based Sachei Kei organisation that aims to preserve the special Japanese doll-making methodology — teaching keen youngsters how to make birds and flowers out of paper. Nearby,a group of Japanese women were busy making dolls and painting colourful balls and postcards. “It’s all about improvising,” said Kumi Ito of Sachi Kei,who was painting an image of a group of children at play. “Happy children are my favourite subject,” she added.

In the adjacent room,an Indian couple donned the traditional Japanese attire and was posing for a picture. “This exhibition gives us a glimpse of the Japanese life,highlighting how enterprising and culturally rich these people are,” said Smitha Sehgal,one of the visitors on Saturday morning,adding that she too hoped to try the kimono on herself,once the crowd became slightly thinner.