Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has captured the imagination of Golu doll makers as well. This year, at least two doll makers at the Kumaran Anugraha Kalyana Mandapam in West Mambalam have made dolls of the actor-turned-politician.

Artisan Kavitha Munusamy chose to immortalise his slashing hand gesture in a six-inch-tall clay doll in gold and multi-colour. “We are all fans of Mr. Vijay at home, and that particular gesture in the Assembly remains in our minds. He had posted a photo along with Ministers with the same gesture after his party won the by-election, which is why I too chose to make the Vijay doll with that gesture,” she said.

At the stall next to hers, manned by Kalaichelvan, dolls of Lord Ganesha were fashioned on Mr. Vijay. “This year during Pillayar Chathurthi, there were many idols fashioned on the Chief Minister. They were wearing party-coloured clothes, coolers like him, and were even seen riding a bicycle like him. So we chose to make smaller Ganeshas like that for Golu,” said Mr. Kalaichelvan.

Dolls of leaders and personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, Subramania Bharathi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore and Thiruvalluvar are found in many homes as Golu dolls. In recent times, dolls of former Chief Ministers M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa too were made by artisans.

Sale of Golu dolls will continue till Monday night at Kumaran Anugraha, and along the roads in West Mambalam and Mylapore for a few more days. Many, like L. Sahana, say they like to shop for dolls for next year’s Golu as the festival progresses. “I usually make a quick visit to the following shops for picking up doll sets and large dolls at more affordable prices. Vendors will reduce the prices of dolls since they will not want to carry them back home. It is also a good time to pick up small single pieces like a Muruga idol without the mountain, or a Hanuman that went missing from the Rama Sita set,” she added.

Published – October 18, 2026 01:44 am IST