Doll crafting and doll marriage have long been traditions in India. From Harrapan figurines to Kondapalli dolls, Indian dolls have enchanted spectators for centuries. I remember my mother narrating stories of how her grandmother used to make her dolls from old clothes and cotton at home. One such doll maker of Gwalior, Batto Bai, got worldwide recognition for her unique talent and breathtaking aesthetics.
Recently, I got an opportunity to witness and document the Batto Bai Dolls of Gwalior. It's a simply intricate handcrafted doll made by women of the Batto Bai family for the festival of Akha Teej. Every Akha Teej, young girls marry these dolls in Gwalior with the hope of getting married themselves with god's blessings. Batto Bai dolls are a generational craft deep-rooted in the region's culture. The craft is vanishing because of westernization and the advent of new toys on the market. There is much more to the art than the pair of dolls, and this book is an attempt to highlight the same.
