Kondapalli toys – cultural icons of Andhra Pradesh – current affairs 22/08/2019 – Posted in: Daily News – Tags:

KONDAPALLI TOYS

 

Kondapalli toys are one of the most sold handicrafts in India and abroad via online, wholesale and retail platforms.

  • These toys are the toys made of wood in Kondapalli of Krishna district, a village nearby Vijayawada in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
  • It was registered as one of the geographical indication handicraft from Andhra Pradesh as per Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

 

Major Obstacles

  • Competition from Chinese machine-made toys.
  • Scarity of the ‘Tella Poniki’ wood. No other wood can be a replacement to make these toys.

 

Wood Bank

  • The Forest Department had set up a ‘Wood Bank’ with an aim to grow the soft trees that could be legally distributed among the toy-makers.
  • The trees would provide raw material for toy-making for the next 20 years.

 

Toy Crafting

  • Tella Poniki wood, found in Kondapalli Hills, is used for making toys.
  • The wood is first carved out and then the edges are smooth finished.
  • Later step involves coloring with either oil and water-colours or vegetable dyes and enamel paints are applied based on the type of the toys.
  • The artisans mainly work on producing figures of mythology, animals, birds, bullock carts, rural life etc., and the most notable one is Dasavataram, dancing dolls etc.

 

Kondapalli’s Bommala Colony

The colony was set up by former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh NT Rama Rao in 1987 to provide these artisans a haven to promote their craft.

 

Important Info
  • ‘Tella Poniki’ wood is malleable and can be easily chiseled into the desired shape.
  • Tella Poniki takes a lot of time to grow and that is in its earlier stages.

 

Source: The Hindu

 

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