Dastkari Haat Samiti
Dastkari Haat Samiti
Not many toys can boast of having a 300-year old history that began because of a king; except for the wooden toys made in Channapatna. It is said King Tipu Sultan who ruled from 1750 to 1799 received a lacquered Persian toy which excited him enough to send for artisans from there to train some of his people. The Indian artisans settled in Channapatna and have continued practicing the same craft through generations.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Channapatna, a small town which is now known for its toy making, lies between Bengaluru and Mysuru in Karnataka, India. As in most small towns, economic and social life revolves around the vicinity of a mosque or a temple.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
From a small village leading off a main highway, Channapatna has grown into a small town, with many shops displaying their local toys. There is a sharp contrast between the quality of goods made for local sales and those for urban markets and export.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
A procession celebrating a religious occasion winds through the streets of Channapatna with all its ceremonial trappings.
Channapatna Toys: Wooden toy making process (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
The toy making community is one of the few that is self-sufficient within its geographical area. Raw material shops, woodcutters who reduce big logs to smaller pieces, all live in the town or nearby.
Channapatna Toys: Wooden toy making process (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Shops that entertain casual visitors and the local population to buy their familiar ‘home- made’ toys, are also within the town of Channapatna itself. A healthy boost of financial support by the state government also helps to sustain and enable the craft to grow.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (11-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Wooden rocking horses are made for the local market in Channapatna.
Resin and dye-stuff for colouring are obtained from the nearby forest. Wood seasoning facilities and other common facilities are provided by the government and conveniently located in Channapatna, making it easy for the artisans to work at their craft.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (12-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
Local toy shops in Channapatna toy town are full of articles for locals and visitors interested in the craft. The shopkeepers do not pay much attention to style and presentation.
Channapatna Toys: Community activity (12-03-18)Dastkari Haat Samiti
All kinds of handmade wooden toys are available in the stores, which are all around the place. All shopkeepers naturally hate customers who try to bargain. The “Fixed Rate” sign hopes to ward them off!
Channapatna Toys: Product innovation by Varnam (12-03-18) by Varnam CraftsDastkari Haat Samiti
In contrast to the randomly piled displays in tiny shops in Channapatna, a sophisticated store in Bengaluru has the toys displayed aesthetically, with the special intention of promoting this precious tradition of handmade toys.
Channapatna Toys: Wooden lacquered toys (11-03-18) by Noor Salma and companyDastkari Haat Samiti
Read more about the toy making tradition of Channapatna here:
- A Portrait Gallery of Channapatna Artisans
- Channapatna Toys: A chain of artisans create a toy
Text: Jaya Jaitly
Photography: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Artisans: Noor Salma, Varnam Crafts
Ground Facilitator: Ankit Kumar Singh
Documentary Video: Chirodeep Chaudhuri
Curation: Aradhana Nagpal
You are all set!
Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.