23 kilometres from Vijaywada, in the suburb of Kondapalli, one finds the real story of Centre’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. Carrying out the legacy for the last 400 years, these artisans have no time to spare. They are crafting the most beautiful of handmade painted wooden toys with utmost zeal. These toys are also exported to other countries and are leaving China behind. With Andhra Pradesh as the pairing state of Punjab under the Centre’s “Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat’ initiative, a recent visit by Punjab based journalists to the state of Andhra Pradesh organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), revealed how the government in this coastal state has been putting its best put forward to save the heritage. For encouraging younger generation who learn the craft of making these hand-made wooden toys, the state government here has been providing a daily stipend of ₹300 over a period of 90 days to these students. Moreover, all the produce is purchased by the Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Corporation and are also sold by the government online besides at Lepakshi emporium.
Over 100 families residing in this suburb of Kondapalli with a population of 35,000 are carrying out the fascinating craftsmanship work which they say ‘runs in their blood’.
National award winner Venkatachari, his wife Jyoti and daughter Bhargawi are crafting wooden painted toys which are famous globally for their special wood that adds a touch of aesthetics to drawing rooms with their finely created figurines. These toys have carved a niche of their own in the world of handicrafts.
Nimble fingered artisans carve the characters from light soft wood. The wooden piece is heated to make it moisture-free. Different parts of the image are carved separately. They are then glued together with an adhesive made of crushed tamarind seeds. “My fathers and forefathers and even their forefathers have been making these toys and the fine art is passed on to us. I learnt making these toys in my childhood. The unique selling point is that these are all fully handmade. Besides toys, we also make wooden ships and variety of Hindu idols,” he says.
These toys are also available online at a price ranging from ₹350 to ₹2000. Some of the toys also have a social message written. One such wooden toy shows a villager extracting Toddy, a special whiskey from a tree even as a cop stands below with a stick in hand. “The message is do not drink,” says the artisan Venkatachari. In a lighter vein, he added that such toys asking people not to drink won’t sell in Punjab.
{{/usCountry}}These toys are also available online at a price ranging from ₹350 to ₹2000. Some of the toys also have a social message written. One such wooden toy shows a villager extracting Toddy, a special whiskey from a tree even as a cop stands below with a stick in hand. “The message is do not drink,” says the artisan Venkatachari. In a lighter vein, he added that such toys asking people not to drink won’t sell in Punjab.
{{/usCountry}}Lajwanti Naidu, Assistant Director, Capacity Building for Training and Development, Andhra Pradesh Tourism said the government is only a felicitator to sell these wooden toys and the entire profit goes to the artisans. “Our aim is to keep the legacy alive and encourage more people to take up this art so that it loves forever,” said Naidu.
This ‘Make in India’ story is in complete contrast to Punjab where hundreds of wooden toy makers and craftsmen in Dhanaula village in Barnala have been lamenting no support from the Punjab government. “We make wooden toys and nests and there is no support from the state government or the centre at all towards preserving this heritage,” says Beant Singh, a wooden toy maker in Barnala.