Ramsons — The Story of a Mysore Heritage Store

In 1966, D. Ram Singh started a small handicrafts manufacturing unit in Mysore called Brilliant Industries. His family had roots in Bassi, Rajasthan — they had come to Mysore in the 18th century and never left. Several generations later, Mysore was home, and D. Ram Singh was determined to build something lasting in it.

In 1970, he opened a store opposite Mysore Zoo — Handicrafts Sales Emporium. It sold rosewood carvings, sandalwood figurines, traditional paintings, brass work, stone sculptures, and board games. Locals came to love it. They called it Gombe Angadi — The Doll Store. Over the years it grew into the largest handicrafts store in Mysuru, drawing locals, tourists, and art lovers from across the country.

In 1995, on the store's 25th anniversary, D. Ram Singh established an art foundation — to do more than sell. To research, preserve, and revive the traditional art and craft forms of Karnataka and India. That foundation drives everything Ramsons does today.

His son R. Gyaneshwar Singh — RG, as everyone in Mysore's arts circles calls him — grew up surrounded by Mysore-style paintings hanging in the family home. He was collecting them as a teenager, buying his first piece from a photo-frame shop in the city with his pocket money. That curiosity never stopped. Over three decades, RG has documented Mysore-style paintings, co-authored books on traditional Indian board games and Thanjavur paintings, and worked tirelessly to revive traditions that were quietly disappearing.

Working alongside him since 2004 is H.S. Dharmendra — Raghu — art historian, curator, and designer. Together they have travelled across India for over 20 years, photographing ancient game boards carved into temple floors, documenting craft traditions from village to village, and bringing them back to life in new forms.

In 2005 came Bombe Mane — a doll exhibition sourcing handmade dolls from craft clusters across 12 states of India. What started as an annual Dasara event is now a permanent, year-round exhibition at Ramsons' Nazarbad store, housing over 10,000 dolls in clay, terracotta, wood, ceramic, cloth, and paper mache.

In 2007 came Kreedaa Kaushalya — a biennial exhibition of traditional Indian board games. Now in its 11th edition, it draws visitors, researchers, and game lovers from across the country. Games that lay forgotten for centuries — their boards etched into the stone floors of temples from Chidambaram to Chamundi Hill — are handwoven today in Kalamkari, Lambani embroidery, and Solapur Dhurrie, and sold at Ramsons.

In 2020, on the store's 50th anniversary, the Kaladevi Doll Museum opened — named in memory of D. Ram Singh's wife, R. Kaladevi, who spent her life collecting miniature dolls from across the world. It is the first doll museum of its kind in South India.

Fifty-six years. One family. One city. One commitment to keeping India's art and craft traditions alive.

Ramsons is now online. Welcome.