One entourage at a time
Established in 1965, the museum owes its existence to Shankar Pillai’s passion for collecting costume dolls during his frequent overseas trips. As part of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s entourage, he traversed the globe, amassing a treasure trove of dolls. Today, the museum houses over 6,000 exhibits from nearly 85 countries, each a testament to human creativity.
The dolls’ global odyssey
Embark on a journey through the Western section, and you’ll find yourself in a European wonderland with the Maypole dance replicas from Hungary, and the regal Queen collections from the UK.
In the Indian and Asian sections, the dolls don vibrant Indian costumes, a reflection of our rich heritage. Marvel at the Kabuki and Samurai dolls from Japan and explore the boy and girl festival dolls from Japan, the orchestra of women from Thailand, and more. Learn about the cultures and traditions from around the world through these doll collections.