Joys of Toyland
Kondapalli toys are a class apart. Right from the wood used to the final coat of vegetable dye, they are unique. The multi-staged process of making a toy is very interesting to watch The patronage of people for such handicrafts is excellent
- Toy-making has metamorphosed a lot in the recent times
- The toys from Rs. 10 to Rs. 10,000 are available with the artisans
- Kondapalli fort is being developed into tourist attraction by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation
It is not just another decorative piece. It is a thing of reverence to most Telugus across the globe.
Handicrafts thrived and are going strong in this village on the National Highway No.9, 25 km away from Vijayawada. The quaint village life is preserved and brought into the drawing rooms of the rich and the affluent by the toys. The toy-making has metamorphosed a lot in the recent times.
The small wonders, which are made of white Puniki and painted with vegetable dyes, create the right ambience even in gawky surroundings. The artisans carve out the shape of the toy they want to make from the white Puniki wood. This variety of wood is grown only in the lands earmarked for the purpose in villages surrounding Kondapalli. Lappum, sawdust and tamarind seed paste are stuffed into it to give a packaged look to the toy. Vegetable dyes are used to paint the toys of export quality. Oil paints are used to colour the toys sold within the country and enamel paints for colouring the toys made for special occasions.
The founder of Kondapalli artisans’ mutually-aided cooperative society Suryaprakash says that the marketability of the toys has witnessed an upswing. A shop, which used to have turn over Rs 5 lakhs a year, is now doing a business to the tune of Rs 20 lakhs. The patronage of people for such handicrafts is excellent.
Where to buy?
You can buy a Kondapalli toy in all the Lepakshi Emporia run by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation in all major towns in the State.The artisans associations and different self-help groups sell the toys to the corporation, which in turn puts them on display-cum-sale. Some private handicrafts shops also sell the toys. Earlier, Lepakshi used to conduct an exhibition and call the artisans to participate in it at Shilparamam in Hyderabad.
Kondapalli
However, the artisans are now reluctant to partake in the exhibition, as it is found unviable to them.
If any art-lover with aesthetic sense wants to buy them in Kondapalli in bulk, it works out to be cheaper. Any shop would usually add its overheads, including cost of maintenance and staff salaries, to the cost of purchase and sell them at a premium. However, if one goes to Kondapalli to buy the toys, the cost would be lower by 25 per cent to 50 per cent depending on the item the buyer chooses.
The toys from Rs 10 to Rs 10,000 are available with the artisans in about a dozen shops in this industrial satellite township of Vijayawada. For those who want to carry the brittle toys abroad, the artisans are ready to pack them neatly to suit the cargo requirements for a safe transportation. The artisans also make toys of buyers’ choice. But then, it takes some time for drawing the design and having it approved by the buyer before casting the mold. Ambari elephant, palanquin-bearers, farmer couple and many such pieces of artistic wonders chiselled on Puniki entice the buyers so much that they glue their eyes onto the art works at least for a few minutes.
One doesn’t have to go to Kondapalli just to buy the toys. It serves a dual purpose. A visitor would cherish his trip to Kondapalli for long, as the village has a beautiful fort with sound and light guided tour in the evenings and tourist guides in the mornings. The fort is being developed into a major tourist attraction by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. One can enjoy the nature’s beauty at Bahavani Islands close to Vijayawada by taking a motorboat. There are several cottages and hotels around for stay.
A. SAYE SEKHAR
Reference Link:
The Hindu Online
http://www.hindu.com/pp/2005/10/23/stories/2005102300060200.htm
Sunday, Oct 23, 2005
Posted in craft