Colourful wooden toys dot the streets of Gombegala nagara or the town of toys in Ramnagara district, Karnataka. The small town of Channapatna has gained prominence as the producer of wooden toys that are unique and showcase the talent of its craftsmen.
The beginning
The history of Channapatana toys can be traced back to the time of Tipu Sultan, who encouraged the Persians to come down to India and teach the artisans the art. Bavas Miyan is known as the Father of Channapatna Toys for his commitment to helping the local artisans and bringing in new technologies to improve the craft.
How the toys are made
The toys are made mainly from Dhoodi Wood or Milkwood, as it is easy to carve out the shapes. However, craftsmen now use other types of hardwood like rubberwood, sycamore, silver wood and red cedar. The wood is seasoned for two to three months before carving begins. A lathe machine is used to create objects that are symmetrical around an axis. The pieces are shaped in cylindrical forms. Then a machine is used to shape these into spheres, hemispheres, cones, and other round forms. It is then rubbed with sandpaper to get an even surface.
The wooden toy is then coloured using vegetable-dyed lacquer sticks and polished by rubbing it with a palm leaf. The eye-catching colours are made using natural materials. The yellow dye is from turmeric, blue from indigo powder, red and orange from kumkum, and brown from from the acacia tree.
Traditionally, the craftsmen made animal figurines, kitchen sets, playing tops and characters from folk tales. Today, they also make aesthetic jewellery boxes, coaster sets and key chains.
How to get there
Channapatana lies on the Bengaluru-Myysuru Highway. The place is 57 km away from Bengaluru; 84 km from Mysuru and 14.5 km from Ramanagara, the location for many famous movies.
