Wooden Toys - Kondapalli
Kondapalli is a small village near Vijayawada. Kondapalli toys have been famous for quite a number of decades and the history seems to be that few Rajasthani karigars (Artisans) settled over here and started making these figure. The craftsmen of Kondapalli belong to the Arya Khatriya Community and toy making has been in the family for generations. Today the number of people devoted to working on this art form has come down drastically and there are around 30-40 families in Kondapalli who undertake this as a lively hood.
The themes of these toys were primarily depicting rural background and Hindu mythology with backdrops like Churning of Milk/Curd, Bullock cart riding, Elephants with Ambari, Dasaavatar set, Radha Krishna combos etc. The toys are small but narrative. Mythology and village life are the most common depictions carved in Kondapalli.
Currently bulks of these toys are procured by Lepakshi (AP Govt) and few private merchandisers.
