Design Resource
Channapatna Toys of Karnataka
The Art of Crafting Wood
by
Introduction
Channapatna which has been known as the “Toy Town” of Karnataka is a small city located 80 km south-west of Bangalore, on Bangalore-Mysore state highway and has a legacy of toys which goes back to more than 200 years. Centuries ago Tipu Sultan invited artisans from Persia to train the locals of Channapatna. They started work by carving toys out of ivory initially then switched to rubber, cedar, and teak. The art has gone global in the recent years and there has been a great demand of toys from the UK and The US. Rocking horses, jumping clowns and the clapping monkeys have recently become one of the favourites amongst the children in India and abroad.
