Doll Making in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh

The doll center at Shimla is well known for its production of a variety of traditionally attired dolls depicting different Pahari communities of Himachal. The dolls are created on a wire frame and are exact replicas to dress and ornament of the different communities.

The dolls are made by first making a metal wire skeleton, which is then stuffed with locally sourced grass to form the doll’s body. The grass body is then dressed in miniature garments made of blended fabric, and the doll is finished with a papier-mache face and a wooden frame. The craftsmen use tools like asts, screwdrivers, a wooden platform, a rolling pin, needles, and threads to achieve this.