Article on Channapatna Wooden Toys underneath the following pictures. Please don't miss it.
Channapatna toys are manufactured by artisans of Channapatna town in the Indian State of Karnataka. Channapatna is a small town located 60 km south-west of Bangalore, on Bangalore-Mysore state highway. The town is famous for its wooden toys and lacquer-ware products. These toys are manufactured in small-scale industries, both traditional and modern. These handcrafted wooden toys are made using traditional lacquerware technique and are colored with natural dyes.
Channapatna 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 were invited to train the locals of Channapatna. They started by carving toys out of ivory wood initially then switched to rubber, cedar and teak. This traditional craft is protected as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization, administered by the Government of Karnataka. 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.
Channapatna still uses traditional machinery and tools as production equipments.
Coloring is done using vegetable dyes while the wooden block is still found rotating on the lathe.
Apart from the mechanized or hand machines, they use a number of other tools to manipulate the surface of the toys, such as a drilling machine, which is used to drill holes in certain toys, a chisel is used to develop grooves and create curves on the surface, the vegetable dyes are used to impart eye catching and bright colors to the toys, to make the toys attractive for the buyers and visitors who visit the village. Moreover there is a wide range of files of different shapes and sizes, used to further manipulate the surface for creating other innovative designs on the toys.
The products created in Channapatna are absolutely eco-friendly, non-hazardous and are very safe for children. The toys are non toxic & are without any sharp edges to hurt & harm children. These products are made using soft wood and vegetable dyes, all very children-friendly.
Channapatna products include traditional toys, home-décor items, corporate gift items and utility items, made in traditional and contemporary designs.
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