Environment

Design Resource

Channapatna Toys of Karnataka

The Art of Crafting Wood

Prof. Bibhudutta Baral and Mr. Antony William

Environment

Chennapatna is a small city located 60 km south-west of Bangalore, on Bangalore-Mysore state highway. The city is famous for its wooden toys and lacquer ware. These toys are manufactured in traditional or advanced small scale industries. Manufacturing and twisting of raw silk and Coconut is a major product of Chennapatna. Chennapatna taluk comes under Ramnagar District. Its headquarters is located in Bangalore-Mysore highway. Chennapatna is one of the 57 cities in Karnataka under the Nirmala Nagara - Municipal Governance project. Under this project, the city obtained its website as well as the Public Grievance & Redressal module. The origin of these toys can be traced back to the reign of Tipu Sultan who invited artisans from Persia to train the artisans in making wooden toys.

Chennapatna more often known as the Gombegala Ooru “Toy Town” of Karnataka has a legacy of toys which goes back to more than 200 years. Centuries ago artisans from Persia where invited to train the locals of Chennapatna. This traditional craft is protected as a geographical indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization, administered by the Government of Karnataka. Traditionally, the work involved lacquering the wood of the Wrightia tinctoria tree, colloquially called Aale mara (ivory-wood).For nearly two centuries, this industry is mainly dependent on Doodi Ki Lakdi (ivory wood) and in rare cases, rosewood and sandalwood was used. Today, this art and the craftsmen have broadened the horizon into several varieties of wood - rubber wood, silver wood, fine wood, Nepal wood, sycamore wood, red cedar, pinewood and teakwood.

The craftsmen involved in the manufacture have braced themselves by opening new vistas into the current trend with drastic changes in their thinking and attitude by producing products according to present market demands. This change in attitude has not just given a stimulus and dividend to the craftsmen community, but this has changed the face with a new outlook to the entire toy town of Channapatna. The availability of innate work on varieties of wood as per the client’s choice, has given a new impetus to the entire industry of the toy town. The product range has spread its tentacles from traditional toys to producing articles meant for interior decoration, household utility articles, spice box, salt and pepper box, coaster sets, coat hangers, key chains, mobile holders and an extended range of corporate gift items.

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Channapatna Toys of Karnataka