Amma Dolls
Going into the doll room in Amritapuri is
rather like entering a shrine. There is a feeling
of sweetness, beauty and sacredness. The finished
dolls sit in clusters, in beautiful bhavas, on
chairs, on swings, on cushions, looking down
on us with all their different expressions. They
are undoubtedly special -- their sweetness opens
our heart. There are Sudhamani dolls, Krishna
dolls, Radha dolls, Shiva dolls, Kali dolls and,
of course, Amma dolls -- in white and in Devi
Bhava saris. Some of them more than a foot tall
and the smallest are no bigger than your thumb.
Amma says, "The dolls have a lot of benefits
for the people who get them and also for the
people that make them." The doll makers
are ashram residents. There are five full-time,
and over 25 part-time makers. Like all sadhanas,
it is a struggle, requiring both physical and
mental strength. |
|
According to the doll makers, every step requires
great concentration, from cutting out the body patterns,
to stitching them, to stuffing them, and finally to
assembling the body parts. All requires great precision
and attention to measurements. But it is far from a
mechanical affair. "Making an Amma doll we usually
feel great gladness," says one doll maker. "When
we are making a doll, we become acutely aware of our
own state of mind. The process is a reflection of our
own state of consciousness at that time. If we work
on the computer, and we make a mistake, we can correct
it without thinking very much about it, but with a
doll it's different. We have to undo her, carefully
take her apart and re-stitch her. Generally speaking,
if our minds are calm, then the doll comes out quite
easily. But if are minds are unsteady, or anxious,
or going through a bad time, it will be more difficult
for us to make her."
 |
A medium-sized doll takes about two days
to make. Bigger dolls can take up to three days.
The dolls are made of pure white wool, which
is diligently wound, pressed and stuffed into
the pre-sown body shapes. This is a crucial process.
The doll body has to be hard and strong enough
to withstand constant handling. The wool has
to be very tightly packed but even. The head
is the most important part. It is the first shape
to be made and begins with winding the wool around
some special prasad (materials used or blessed by Amma). |
The maker has to have skill both in stuffing and forming
the shapes for the eyes, nose and mouth. The head has
to be sewn so that it sits nicely on the body. Then
the eyes, ears, arms, hands legs and feet have to be
exactly made and sewn on so that both sides are equal.
The hair is made of pure black mohair and every strand
is carefully measured before sewing into place. Every
doll is embossed with a heart sewn with gold thread.
Lastly the dolls are dressed, sometimes with material
taken from Amma's saris or other prasad materials. Some of the malas are made from beads that Amma has specially blessed. Also, the white clothes of the Amma dolls are made from materials blessed by Amma.
|
MotherPage 
Ashram Products 
