kadackala The spirit of Channapatna
kadackala The spirit of Channapatna
Published in August, 2016 by the Fashion Communication Department National Institute of Fashion Technology Site No 21, 27th Main, Sector 1 HSR Layout Bengaluru, Karnataka – 560102 All rights are reserved by NIFT. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or photocopy without prior permission. Printed in India
CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the Craft cluster project titled ‘Kadackala’ is a record of work done by the Fashion Communication students of batch 2014-18, Aashrita Indurti (BD/14/72), Aman Prateek (BD/14/259), Ananya Choudhary (BD/14/2348), Arvind (BD/14/3450), Bhavya Malviya (BD/14/333) as a Regular student for the degree of B.Des Fashion Communication during the period of July 2016, which represents as independent work and does not form the base for any previous work. PLACE: Bengaluru DATE: 19th August, 2016 Under the Guidance of,
Dr. Vibhavari Kumar Centre Cordinator & Associate Professor Department Of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology Bengaluru - 560102.
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Acknowledgement We wish to express our gratitude to Dr. Vibhavari Kumar for her constant motivation, support and guidance. We would also like to thank our other faculty members of Fashion Communication for their patience during the trip and giving us knowledge throughout. We are also thankful to all the artisans and their families for their undying patience, answering our questions and also for showing us the real ‘Channapatna.’ A special mention to Mr. Syed Pasha and his colleagues Mr.Tabrez and Mr. Wudan Khan for showing us their work of art.
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Introduction
The book Kadackala brings out the essence of Channapatna and the transformation of the artform over the years. It showcases the contrast between how modernity has touched the lives of the artisans and how some still choose to follow the path carved by tradition. The name Kadackala has been derived from the individual words ‘Kadackalu’ which means lathe in Kannada and ‘Kala’ which stands for art. An amalgamation of the two words forms Kadackala, which brings out the spirit of the artform. The logo symbolises the aesthetics and harmony of Channapatna. It incorporates an artisan working earnestly, thus paying a tribute to all the artisans who put their heart and soul behind making of an artefact.
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Table of Contents 1. About Channapatna 12 2. Artefacts of Channapatna History 27 Raw Materials 30 Lac 30 Wood 35 Colours 40 Screw Pine 44 Tools 47 Process 55 Design intervention 60 China Vs Channapatna 67 SWOT Analysis 71 3. Artisans 72 4. Organisation 100 5. Glossary 120 6. Fun facts 123 7. Conclusion 124 8. Bibliography 127
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About
Channaptna is a city located sixty km south-west of Bengaluru, India on Bengaluru-Mysore state highway. Popularly known as the Gombegala ooru, the toy town of Karnataka, located in Ramnagaram district. This traditional craft is protected as a geographical indication (GI) under the World Trade Organization, administered by the Government of Karnataka
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A lane in Shahivadi, Channapatna
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Channapatna Railway Station
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Al Ameen Allahdad High School, Kalanagar
Moonstar Toys and Factory
Muniyappa Doddi Kalanagar Cauvery handicrafts
Maya Organics Satanur Circle
Islampur Naseeb Store Sheru Road
Shahivadi
Railway Station 16
Channapatna >Map
Fort Road Shree Beereshwara (Katerpillar) K.T.F Factory
Shree Toys
Police Station Kote
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Everyday routine, Kote
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A temple in Kote
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Latitude and Longitude Latitude and Longitude are 12.6492째 N and 77.2003째 E, respectively.
Climate and Weather In summer, the temperature is 32 째C and in winter it is 19 째C.
People According to Census India 2011 report, the city has population of 71,942 of which 36,098 are males while 35,844 are females. Population of Children with age of 0-6 is 8038 which is 11.17 % of total population of Channapatna. Male literacy is around 88.13 % while female literacy rate is 81.28 %.
Food South Indian food like Dosa, Idli Sambhar are prevalent here along with several other cuisines. Due to the popularity rise of the toys, several outlets have been opened here offering a plethora of food options.
Attire Modernism has not only effected the toy making process but also the attires of people. Men are seen in shirts and trousers whereas women are mostly seen burqa, saree or salwar suit.
Places Around According to karnatake tourism, places around the city to visit are Maloor Aprameya Swamy Temple which also has the world famous Ambegal Krishna whose beauty inspired the famous poet Purandhara Dasa is just 2 km away from Channapatna on the Highway towards Mysore, Kanva Maharshi Math and Brahmanya Theertha Brundavan is 6 km away from Channapatna on the way to Kanva Reservoir, Kanva Reservoir is 13 km from Channapatna with automatic siphon system and Kokkare Bellur bird sanctuary, amongst the rest.
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Recreation Gilli Danda or cricket is one of the most popular games played in the city.
How to get there By road, many buses are available from Bengalure to reach town. By train, Bengaluru Majestic is the nearest railhead to reach Channapatna. By air, Bengaluru international airport is the nearest airport.
Occupation Majority of the population is involved into toy making. The others are either into exports or are shopkeepers, tailors, retailers, etc.
Health Centres Maya Health’s office is one of the known health centres in Channapatna. It has used this office to train the health navigators (HN). Pooja Health Centre and As Shifa Health Centre are some places that offer treatment to the sick.
Schools Al-Ameen Allahabad High School is an Urdu medium school in the Yadgar Mohalla. Other popular schools are Bangalore Public School, Hayath Habeeb, Government Residential School and GUMPS, Old Daira.
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Channapatna Doll
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Nizam Ali Chowk
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Artefacts of Channapatna
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Tipu Sultan
Artefacts of Channapatna > History
When It All Began The origin of these toys can be traced to the reign of the Mysore king Tipu Sultan in the 18th century. Tipu Sultan was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. Also known as the ‘Tiger of Mysore’, he is known for his tremendous contribution in developing the cities he ruled and as a patron of arts and crafts.
It is said that Tipu Sultan was gifted a lacquered wood toy from Persia, and was so impressed with it that he reportedly brought craftsmen from Persia to teach the art to native artisans. Those who learnt the craft settled down in Channapatna. Bavas Miyan is known as the father of Channapatna Toys, who sacrificed his life for it. He adopted Japanese technology for toys making and helped the local artisans to learn and improve their art. Since the last couple of years, the trade saw a decline with an emergence of cheap Chinese imitations, but as soon as the customers became aware of the toxic chemicals used to make those toys, the handmade Channapatna toys came back in demand. The skill has undergone a host of changes to cater to the changing environment. With exports being the mainstay of the industry, the toys have also evolved to hold greater appeal to the western markets. The use of vegetable dyes is one such innovation, which makes these toys score over their more controversial lead-containing Chinese counterparts. One tenth of the total population of the town is directly associated with Channapatna toy business for their livelihood. The town is also becoming a major tourist destination for people who come in search for these toys.
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What We Use
Artefacts of Channapatna > Raw Materials
Lac
Lac is a resinous substance deposited on the twigs of various trees in southern Asia by the female of the lac insect called Kerria Lacca. Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick (brood lac) that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infested. Thousands of lac insects colonise and secrete the resinous pigment. The coated branches are cut and harvested as sticklac. The highest quality lac is referred to as button lac. It is light, golden coloured and cost up to Rupees Hundred and Twenty per kg. The other varieties are medium brown colour and dark black. Lac-turnery involves several independent steps. The soft wood of the hale tree (Wrightia tinctoria) is first turned into circular shapes by the expertise of hand or power lathes and suitable cutting tools. The turned wooden items are dried by means of frictional heat where the painted lac deposits itself. It gives a bright and colourful appearance. To finish the process, the lacquered piece is polished with the leaves of the talegiri or screwpine (Pandanus odoratissimus).
Lac melting
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Wax
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Pure Lac
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Impure Lac
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Artefacts made of Hale wood
Artefacts of Channapatna > Raw Materials
Wood
Hale mara wood is the basic raw material of lac-turnery. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous shrub or tree, ranging from three m to fifteen m in height. Also known as Wrightia tinctoria and Hayamaraka in Sanskrit, it consists of closely packed grains which are moderately hard and easily turned into fine shapes by hand or machine. It has a very low moisture and oil content. The latter helps ensure excellent finish and translucency after polishing. It is found in the forests and in village wastelands near Channapatna, Ramnagaram, Mysore, Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Hassan and Coorg in the state of Karnataka. Wrightia tinctoria is not only used for its wood. The flowers, leaves, fruits and seeds are used for its edibleness and are popular sources for indigo dye production. Leaves are extracted as fodder for livestock. The sap added to milk has been reported to have preservative properties and the milk will remain fresh for some time with unaltered taste. This is the reason why many people in Channapatna have buttermilk as essentials. The plant has antiinflammatory and anti-dandruff properties and hence is used in hair oil preparation. Because of these medicinal and ayurvedic properties, the sawdust and other waste from this tree are easily reusable. Apart from hale, artisans also prefer to work with yellow teak (Adina cardi folia), silver oak (Grevillea robusta), ebony, rakthchandana, redwood (lal agar), Blackwood (kale agar) rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), grey wood, red cedar, beech wood and pine (Pinus sp).
Baked Hale wood
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Hale Wood (Left), Processed Hale Wood (Right)
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Hale wood processed and stacked
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Basri Mara
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Fungus Infected Wood
Artefacts of Channapatna > Raw Materials
Colours
Colours fill the Channapatna toys with life and vibrance. A number of synthetic substances are used for colouring the finished products. These include lithophane, a compound of barium sulphate and zinc sulphide which is a white pigment that enables lac to lose its transparency and become opaque. Lithophane is imported from Czechoslovakia and Germany and costs around Rupees Fifty per kg locally. Equally important are aniline colours which are used to prepare lac sticks. The basic colours used are rhodamine (rose), auramine (yellow), diamond green, purple, violet and red. Finally, poster colours and enamel paints are used to draw decorations and scenery onto the lac finish. The sources for some of the colours are turmeric for yellow, Ratanjyot tree roots’ for brown colour or the baked wood in the wood dust for brown, Kanchi Kumkum for orange, Alizarin dye for crimson red colour, and Baking Soda and Alum for white colour. The colours are non-toxic in nature.
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Yellow colour preparation
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Yellow colour preparation (Left and right bottom), Green colour preparation (Right top)
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Preparation of Indigo colour (Left top), Natural Pigments (Left bottom), Colour application (Right)
Artefacts of Channapatna > Raw Materials
Screw Pine
Talegiri or screw pine (Pandanus odoratissimus) is a palm-like leaf of the evergreen tree which has long thick leaves. Found on the coast and along the banks of rivers, canals, fields and ponds, Screw Pine often has aerial roots. The leaf is an essential part of the toy production process. Only the mature leaves are cut so that the plant naturally regenerates. The leaves are sliced into fine strips and are sorted for further processing. Used for polishing, it imparts a translucent shine to the product.
Usage of Screw Pine leaf
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Usage of Screw Pine leaf
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An artisan at work with all his tools
Artefacts of Channapatna > Tools
Tools
The most important tool for lac-turnery is the lathe. Traditionally all lac based artefacts was carved using simple hand lathes called bilkolu -patris made by local carpenters. A bow string is used to turn a rotating axle at the centre of the wooden lathe. The turning tool is held in the free hand and pressure is added with the foot, shaping the spinning wood. The advantage of the patri, which continues to be used by many artisans is its simple construction and ease of operation. As a hand powered tool, it can be used without electricity in village households. With the increasing market for lacware, the electric power lathe was introduced. A power lathe has a headstock that consists of a revolving axle attached to two belt pulleys. The belt runs over a pulley mounted on a revolving shaft that is driven by an electric motor. The production time decreases considerably on the power lathe as both hands are free to operate turning tools. Power lathes are more often located in small factory settings, where there is electricity. The other tools are Huli, Berige, Chandrika, Dabe and Yenna. A variety of cutting tools is used to shape the turning wood including chisels, gauges and snappers. Hand saws and axes are used to prepare the wood to be turned. Bilkolu is the tool that was used instead of the lathe that the artists use today. It is a bow like long stick that artists manually rotate with the help of the patri. Patri is a long rectangular block with the support of which the artist rotates the bilkolu and rests the other hand while shaping the block of wood. Berige, Huli, Chandrika and Dabe are tools with a pointed, curved or an angular end that is used to shape and sculpt the block of wood.
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An artisan working on a lathe
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Set of files (Top and bottom)
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Artefacts of Channapatna > Tools
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Artefacts of Channapatna > Tools
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An artisan workspace
The Making
Artefacts of Channapatna > Process
The production of Channapatna artifacts involves a series of steps, all of which can be accomplished in a household workshop. Before wood can be turned on the lathe both wood and lac must be prepared.
Step 1 Raw Material Collection
The process of making a toy starts from the procurement of raw material, which is sourced from the local wood suppliers and then it is seasoned for two to three months depending on the size of the planks. Though the government suppliers supply seasoned wood, inorder to achieve cost effectiveness the artisans prefer to buy the wood locally and season them at their workspace itself.
Step 2 Seasoning
Logs are cut into small billets and stored away from heat and sunlight in a location with good air circulation for ten days to a month, depending on the moisture content of the wood. The edges of the seasoned billets are then chiseled and superfluous wood is removed until a cylinder is formed. The form is then rubbed with a sand paper in order to smoothen the surface. The wood is now ready to be turned on a lathe.
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Step 3 Lac Preparation
The preparation of lac begins with heating and softening. Lac is stuck on to the ends of two identical wooden sticks which are heated until the lac becomes plastic and malleable. The heating process is repeated occasionally to maintain plasticity. A specific amount of lithophone is then added to the softened lac and is beaten continuously until a white tint appears. A small portion of powdered dye is mixed with a bit of water and this is added to the warm white lac. The mixture is then beaten again until the correct shade evolves. The lac then begins to assume the consistency of rubber. It is reheated, and before solidifying it is removed from the splinters by hand. A long thin stick of coloured lacquer 0.5 cm thick and 3 cm wide is shaped and cut into 15-20 cm length. Four or five sticks of one colour is prepared at a time. These sticks have a shelf life of only one month before they become hard and unfit for use.
Step 4 Shaping
Cutting and shaping tools are applied to the revolving piece of wood so that thin continuous chips are scraped off. Skilled craftspeople are able to get uniform, thin layers of wood to create desired shapes. Once the desired shape is formed, it is sanded with sandpaper while it is still turning, until the surface is smooth and uniform. For measuring the size and maintaining the precision, artisans frequently use Varner caliper and divider.
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Artefacts of Channapatna > Process
Step 5 Lac Application
Once the wood is shaped in desired form, the lacquering process starts. The artisans press the lacquer stick of the chosen colour against the revolving wooden piece while it is still on lathe and due to the heat produced by friction lacquer gets applied on the wood. The quality of the final product depends on the skill with which lacquer is applied to the turning wood.
Step 6 Screw Pine into play
The applied lacquer is spread uniformly over the surface with the help of dried palm leaf or screw pine. This also gives shine and luster to the product. Buffing lends a translucency to the finished product. The lacquered article is separated with a cutting tool and removed from the lathe.
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The process of making an artefact (clockwise direction)
Design Intervention Modernism has taken over not only the lifestyles’ of people here but also their craftwork. It first started off with basic cylindrical shapes with little or no variation. The motifs were mostly of flowers, leaves or basic geometric designs. With the use of pencils or any sharp tool, mechanically they made dots or small lines on the carved product. With the advent of mechanical lathe machine, artisans are able to save up a lot of time. They utilise this time in making more innovative and interactive designs. Since major production is exported, the designs are no more localised. Warli art from Maharashtra is one of the most common designs visible in the Channapatna toys. The shapes are also no more restricted to cylindrical or concentric circles. China has become the biggest competition leading the local market to dwindle. To overcome this, the conventional barriers have been broken and many toys factories have gone beyond than making just educational toys for children. They are seen making various shaped dolls, geometric sets for college students, home lifestyle products, etc. Colours have not been left behind either in the modernistic race. Many artisans have started experimenting and mixing organic dyes to get newer colours. They have started using poster paints and acrylic to get uncommon colours like tints and shades of purple, pink, green and blue. But the one best thing about Channapatna is that with progress, the roots are still held onto.
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Artefacts of Channapatna > Design Intervention
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At their creative best - A new approach
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Channapatna artefacts with a new approch to cater to a modern audience
Commonly Seen Designs
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Artefacts of Channapatna > Design Intervention
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Channapatna toy (Left), chinese toy (Right)
China Vs Channapatna
Artefacts of Channapatna > China Vs Channapatna
As one walks into any handicrafts store in Channapatna, the racks are filled Chinese manufactured toys that seem to have an undying demand in Channapatna. The below mentioned study shows the difference between Chinese manufactured artefacts and the ones made in Channapatna.
Chinese Manufactured Artefacts These products are not durable. Colours are toxic and not child friendly. Finishing is bad. Shapes are very uniform since it is machine cut. Different types of shapes are available, apart from cylindrical that are not visible in any Channapatna toys. Price is comparatively less. The acquisition is fast due to abundant and rapid production.
Channapatna Manufactured Artefacts The products are highly durable. The colours are non-toxic. Wood texture is easily visible. They are comparatively higher priced. Shapes are cylindrical in nature with no other variations.
Chinese and Channapatna doll
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China beads(Top),Channapatna beads(Bottom) 68
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Chinese toys
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Artefacts of Channapatna > SWOT Analysis
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STRENGTH
WEAKNESS
Time Management
Disunity amongst artisans
Mastery over the art
Helplessness
Efficiency
Illiteracy
Tackling day to day problems
Dependency on middlemen
Versatility
Poverty
Adaptability (to new technology)
Inadequate facilities Exposure level
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OPPORTUNITY
THREATS
Self Help Groups
Modern Technology
Government funds
Invasion of Chinese products
Health Cards and Concessions
Profit made by Middlemen
Demand for Exports
Unskilled artisans Other upcoming Organizations Extinction of the art form
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Karigar
(Artisan)
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Artisans
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Beads made at Neelasandra
Nagaraju and Sushila
Artisans
Tools he uses
Intently drawn to their work, the couple continued making car mats while answering our queries. They started learning the art at the age of Twenty and it takes approximately Two to Three months to master it. Their children go to school and are not involved in this business. They use china beads as it is inWexpensive and are able to make around Three products in a day, earning Rupees Thirty to Forty per piece. Nagaraju 75
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Weaving a mat
Artisans
Gauramma
Keshava
Keshava Indramma and Gauramma All three of them are involved in making mats for cars using beads. They started practicing at Twenty Two years of age and earn Rupees Forty per piece. The ladies start their work at 8 am after they are done with the daily ritual and prayer and are able to finish Four car mats in a day. All their children go to school near the Devasthana. Keshava has a farm as a side business and plans on making his children engineers. They have never sold their good directly but only through middle men who later sell their products to shops at M.G. Road.
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Indramma
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Channakeshava’s house
Channakeshava and Lakshamamma
Artisans
‘Nodi…Chanagaidiya?’ Happiness can be found even in the darkest rooms and this couple lives by it. The couple’s working hours are from 8 am to 4 pm. They inherited this business from their ancestors and have passed it on to their children. They earn rupees Three Hundred to Four Hundred per day and have been working for over Twenty Five years now. Quite content with what they earn, the lady of the house brandishes her diamond ear studs. They make car mats out of their own hand-made beads and use teakwood. The mats are priced at Rupees Three Hundred to Two Thousand and the beads are charged at Rupees Two each. On the other hand, china beads cost One and a quarter paise each. Apart from teakwood, Hale mara is also used whose waste (saw dust) is accumulated to make agarbattis. Teakwood waste is used to filter water. The government gave them a loan to carry forward the art form. They shared with us some information about the cost of wood in the market. Ten kgs of hale is priced at Rupees Forty Five and One kg of teakwood is priced at Rupees Thirty Five. They make cylindrical beads with a diameter of 24 mm and spherical beads with a diamenter of around 22 mm.
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Lakshamamma 79
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Adugodi Mane, a game
Shabbir and Muzar
Artisans
‘Unlogon ko lencha dene ka’ They are workers at a factory making a game played by Hindu women. In Kannada, the game is known as ‘adugodi mane’ and ‘calle pagada’ in Urdu. The game is the flat wooden block with two sides attached to the hinge such that closes like a box. It has holes varying in multiple of Twelve and is played with shells. Pinewood, rubber wood and timber which is procured from nearby sawmills is used to make the wooden block. Six months of training is required for mastering the woodwork. They face slight electricity issues and use polish for the finish and not lac. The waste accumulated is swept off by the BBMP workers. With continuous exposure to the dust particles, they have developed slight health issues and work Six to Eight hours in a day. They sell only at the local market at Rupees one fifty per piece. They have to pay lencha to the middle men, a menace faced by most artisans in Channapatna.
Muzar
Shabbir 81
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3D shapes made at Moonstar
Lakshmi
Artisans
She has been working at the Moon Star factory for hree years now. She begins her work at 10 am after sending her children to school and calls it a day at 6pm in the evening. She lives two km away and has been given specialized training in making 3D shapes. Her son is in nineth standard and with a cheerful outlook she does not complain much and is content with her job.
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Workspace
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Seasoned and carved Hale
Al Hafuq and Yaqba
Artisans
Accustomed to visitors, the trio started explaining to us their work and showed us the process involved in making artefacts. As they use polish, varnish and lac for toy colouring, they start off explaining the various intricacies involved in the art. The colours used are red, green white, black, yellow and blue. They use a variety of wood such as teak wood, pine wood, rubber wood, beech wood and hale mara. These are procured from nearby sawmills. Teak wood ranges from Rupees Two Hundred to Four Thousand. They start the work at 6 am. in the morning and continue working till 7 pm. in the evening. The supporting tools used are aghal (file) and basola (file). In their early forties, they do not have any health issues.
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Yaqba 85
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A component of the Jhula
Artisans
Wudan khan
Wudan Khan and Sufia
Sufia
‘Bejar ho gaya abhi’ A dedicated artist who opened up to showcase his talents with everything that he said came straight from his heart. Ardently, he makes a jhula (swing) in front of us where every muscle on his face was exuding the dedication. Expert at multi-tasking, he tells us about his life, experiences and troubles faced in making the Channapatna toys. He took to this art at the age of ten after he failed in Mathematics. It was passed on to him by his grandfather and one can easily master the art in four months. His father specialised in making teapots, spoons and swings. When asked about his son’s involvement, he clearly showed his negation. He is unable to build a house of his own. For a man who makes around Six Hundred per day, there is enough for food and living but not for extra aspirations. Therefore, he doesn’t want his son involved in a business that fails to provide him with a comfortable life. His son is studying in a school at Bavas Miya road in the tenth standard where Urdu is the 87
primary language while the second language is Kannada and the third language is English. He makes three jhulas in a day and works for ten hours. Each jhula consists of eight individual parts that are combined inorder to build a complete jhula. One jhula is for two hundred bucks and is sold at M.G. road with other products like coloured bamboo sticks. Sales increases during festivals because the jhulas are used to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birth with the statue of the lord carried around in the jhula . He uses zinc powder, narangi (orange) powder, peela (yellow) powder and bleach powder for making colours. Khewda is the dry wood that he works on. The waste accumulated is used to make Maratha agarbatti. He uses graphite to add a decorative element to his design along with a layer of lac. The finishing is smooth even as the graphite lines are added over the lac layer. The second graphite line makes the texture stand out. He uses sun gold refined oil to add shine to the product and also as a lubricant. More the heat, smoother is the making of the product that takes place on the manual lathe, which came only after the 1960s. The lac comes from M.G. road in Channapatna. The patri is made out of a type of wood called khika. Talking about his problems, he told us of how Cauvery Handicrafts issued books on the artforms of Karnataka with the government giving grants for the same. Due to corruption, the efforts of the government was all in vain. Hale when overexposed to the sun explodes. Although, no termites are found in hale wood as it has ayurvedic properties. At last, within an hour of conversing, the man was able to produce the beautifully done ‘jhula’.
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Painting unit
Anwar
Artisans
‘Koi help nahi milta’
Another worker from Sri Beereshwara Arts and Crafts, Anwar talks about the problems faced in this industry. Stooping with a tall frame and a lanky demeanour, the fact that there is no help from the government is his worry. Banda system exists along with corruption in all the departments, including the local police.Showing us around the place, he talks of various processes followed at Sri Beereshwara Arts and Crafts.
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Spraying Machine
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A peek into Bagyamma’s place
Bagyamma ‘Basri mara idu’
Down the alley in a quite lane, Bagyamma sells and makes wooden horses which are about Two feet tall and gleaming in the sun. The products are sold to Sri Venkateshwara and Vinayaka dealers in M.G. road. She is paid around Rupees Three Fifty per horse. There are no fixed working hours and is done only under order pressure. She uses Basrimara and procures items like handles from Kote. In a week, she produces Five Hundred pieces and uses lappa and patti as nails to join parts. Her children go to school and her eldest son is doing Engineering. Although her children know how to make Channapatna horses having seen them being made for years together,they would not take it up as a profession due to the dying demands and low wages.
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Artisans
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Painted pots
Ali Pasha
Artisans
‘Power ka bahut problem hai’
Currently working at Nizam Ali factory at Nizami chowk, he has worked for Thirty years having dedicated his life to the advancement of the art. He got trained by the Central Government handicrafts sector and specialises in using different types of wood with poster paints for adding colour. He faces extreme power cuts and this hampers the working he does. He and his fellow mates attach a fan on top of the lathe machine to avoid the dust going directly into their face and also to avoid suffocation. An amount of what the factory sells has a provision from the government and they export the products to Mumbai and New Delhi, apart from Meenakshi Emporium in Channapatna.
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Factory
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An unpolished banghdi
Syed Pasha, Tabrez and Syed Qadar
Artisans
Syed Bhai’s family
‘Chai lenge aap ?’ asked Syed pasha as we arrived at his workplace on the second, consecutive day. He has a small workspace and factory that he set up in Channapatna in 1991. The set up back then costed him Rupees Thirty Thousand. Today, he says, the entire set might cost approximately Rupees 1 Lakh or so for any artisan. He took a loan back then which he managed to cover over the years by selling all that he made and majorly through exports to European countries, mainly for Christmas decorations. He uses Three horsepower motor for the lathe and his workspace is filled with iron machinery. He also has custom made instruments and tools made of fine quality steel. These are used to make templates i.e as a scale for measurements and also other tools to aid his designing process. With oozing smiles and hospitality, he talks about frequent power cuts and still has to pay Rupees One Thousand Five Hundred as the electricity bill per month. He also talks about
the dangers of using the lathe – it can cut any part of the body and causes bleeding that can cause instant death. He also gave us tips on how to use the lathe the wood is always to be cut at a certain angle and never straight or criss-cross. There are two other workers who assist him – Syed Qadar, aged Forty and Tabrez, aged Thirty. The former does the polishing and colouring whereas the latter takes to shaping the wood. Tabrez once worked with an NGO for 5 years but left it eventually. He explains to us that the pay there was restricted to around Rupees Five Hundred per month. There were fixed working hours and no matter how much hard work one puts, he still would get only a fixed amount with no creative expansion. He also spoke of how the NGO recruited workers and took hefty loans on each worker and once they got the fund, they dismissed the workers. This came as a rude shock to the workers as the loan was 95
taken on their names without their consent or knowledge. This was the plight of 10,000 workers. They further talk about the bitter reality and the futile attempts made by several educational colleges, students, officials, and businessmen. All these people come to Channapatna for surveys and collect reports but unfortunately, never guarantee any change or improvement. Many people came and tried their hand at money making by hiring these artisans. They exported their products, earned huge profits, paid low wages to these artisans and went back to their respective states. According to Tabrez, due to the depleting market, many youngsters are backing out from this industry and are either becoming engineers or mechanics and they eventually leave the town. Even, the infrastructure in Channapatna is in a pathetic state. Roads are just laid for namesake and the work is
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Artefacts made by Syed Bhai
Artisans
Tabrez
Syed Pasha
Syed Qudar
left midway as the officials are highly corrupt. The Police only help those who are capable of paying ‘Lencha’ (bribe).
Syed Pasha earns Rupees Five Hundred per day whereas the workers earn Rupees Two Hundred to Three Hundred per day. All his hard work on the lathe has left him with absolutely dry and dehydrated skin. The over exposure to the dust causes terrible hair fall.
from Mumbai, where they had been selling their items for the last 20 years and also Mangal Exports in Mumbai, with which he has been trading for the last 15 years. He also exports his artefacts to companies in Chennai and sells some of the products to Naseeb Store in Channapatna. He procures the colours and lac from Amruth agencies in Islampur.
Syed Pasha talks of how one galli (lane) has just been filled with potholes and bumps for the last Fifteen years. He too mentions about the quarters in Kalanagar which were meant to be allotted in 1993, exclusively for the artisans but it was taken over by people who paid the bribe to the officials. Syed bhai further talks about issues that artisans face as there exists no unity among them and competition kills some of them. Another issue that they face is from the middlemen system where the middle men not only dole out money from the artisans but are also paid a hefty amount from the emporiums, where they sell their products.
Syed Bhai introduced us to his family consisting of his daughters, Firoza in the seventh standard and Fuzairat in the eighth standard. They go to the Farah School which is an Urdu medium school. They aspire to study well and succeed in life and do not want to get trapped in this business as they see their parents struggling. His wife Farida Banu is always seen smiling and Syed Bhai’s son is studying Engineering. As we sip Chai, he shares with us some inside information. Some of the companies that Syed Bhai sells his artefacts to are Sanghvi Exports 97
When it was time for us to leave, all of them looked at us with hopeful eyes stating that we shouldn’t give up on them like how people generally do by closing this chapter only with a printed documentation.
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Storage at Maya
Nasrulla
Artisans
Cheerful and ready to help instantly stood the Supervisor of the Production Department of Maya Organics as we arrived. Mr. Nasrulla is a multi-talented man and is the in charge of managing workers in the production department. He also oversees the production of toys, colour processing, and assembling. His working hours are from 9 am to 1 pm with a break for two hours and resumes work from 3 pm and finishes up at around 6 pm every day.
Packaging Unit of Maya
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Maya Organic
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Factory in Maya
Maya Organic Maya Organic started in 2001 with a motive to promote female artisans and also the trade of the art form. It provides training to women of Eighteen plus age group for around Six months before they employ them. Most of the artisans are in the age group of Twenty to Twenty Five years. The products and artefacts made at Maya are sold on E-commerce portals like Flipkart, Amazon along with their own website and other outlets. The process of toy making starts months before the production of the final product. The wood (Hale Mara) is stacked up and kept for six to seven months. Before that, it is also dried to avoid fungus birth and cracking of wood due to moisture. When a tree is cut, it gives three to four branches with a girth of 6 inches. The purchase is per square section of the wood.
Maya Organisation uses natural dyes to make colours. Indigo, turmeric for yellow, Ratanjyot tree roots’ brown colour or the baked wood in the wood dust to get brown, Kanchi Kumkum for orange, Alizarin dye for crimson red colour, and baking soda and alum for white colour is made into bars of colour. These colours are non-toxic in nature. Other components used in toys’ production include screw pine leaves (also called Tale gari) for spreading the colours uniformly onto the product. The stick of lac containing the colour is called shalaq. Chip chop and Kabi are the names of some of the toys, made by Maya.Thirty percent of the product is sold and the rest is exported. After prototype design and lab approval, marketing is done followed by packaging. The products are then ISI certified, particularly for exports to USA. 103
With huge business and initiative, comes several unavoidable problems. Maya started off with Five Hundred to Thousand artisans but now, only Two Thousand artisans are remaining. The number has dropped so drastically because women employees leave the job as soon as they are married off. There is also Thirty percent wastage in the industry due to cracks in the wood. Maya is working on these problems and is also organizing health awareness programs and workshops for the locals.
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One of the toys at Maya
Organisations
Men at work (Top), Wood waste (Left Bottom), Artefact (Right Bottom)
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Experimenting with the designs
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Packaging Unit and Store Room at Maya Organics
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Moonstar Emporium
Moonstar Toys Emporium
Organisations
It is an emporium selling not only Channapatna toys but also educational toys, technical drawing equipment for students, trophies, seats, etc. Most of their toys is Chinese manufactured as they have faster production and manufacturing process. They also manufacture a game called Pagada which is played by Hindu women. The cost of toys seemed very similar to the rates of the common artisans’ products. Right next to the emporium runs a lane leading us to their manufacturing factory. Three to four female workers are working ardently on geometric flower holders or vase. Commonly used wood is rubberwood, tapsy wood , rosewood, beach wood, red cedar and pine wood along with ‘Hale Mara.’ A variety of machines like a band saw, halfround and flat machines are placed next to the lathe. They use putti to cover up the wood cracks and in winters, they use a dryer to dry wood. They also have a paint unit on the first floor. The wood waste is also used to make toys at Moonstar, thus minimalising wastage of raw materials.
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Impure Lac (Left), Pure Lac (Right) Kumar
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Amruth Agencies
One point source for artisans to buy their colours from is Amruth Agencies. They have high-quality lac which is more purified and expensive. It is used for light colours and costs Rupees Four Hundred per kg. In low-quality lac, impurities are present and are thus cheaper. It is used for dark colours and costs Rupees Three Hundred per kg. All colour powders are available with a price range from Rupees One Fifty to Rupees Six Thousand per kg. The price range also differs according to demand and availability. The colours are generally priced at Black for Rupees Five Fifty per kg, Red for Rupees Eight Hundred per kg and Indigo for Rupees Six Thousand per kg, becoming the most expensive one. The owner Kumar with his patient nature is there attending to his customer’s needs.
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Shree Toys Factory
Shree Toys Factory Late Lingaiya Raju started this Self Help Group in 1955, since when it has been very famous for Lingaiya toys. He was the first artisan to go to America and Sri Lanka to learn and hone his skills further. Eight to ten women work from 9 am to 5 pm. Their salary is around Rupees Six Thousand to Seven Thousand. They are treated like family members and not like labourers.
Exports were previously being done but now has stopped due to problems like insects eating the moistened wood. The colour also fades, making the wood soggy leading to no profit or little loss. Today, their products are being exported by a Mumbai-based company. It has made products for companies like Siemens, Wipro and Accenture (in Bengaluru). The Self Help Group makes chess coins for Shobha developers and Channapatna showpiece as souvenirs for Skanray employees. Sutradhaar children fund in Bengaluru is also one of their customers.
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Display at Kouser Toys Factory
Kouser Toys Factory Organized by National Centre for Design and Product Development, Wooden Toy Craft is a design and technical development workshop. It is financially supported by Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. A two floor storey, the ground floor has a factory along with the products’ display. At the entrance, we saw them making chess coins for exports. They are mainly into exports and have a niche, confidential clientele. They get the drafted designs or sketches from these clients or the government. They do not sell to any local markets and even make their own lac. They have a huge variety of colours, powders, poster paints and acrylic. Kouser Pasha is currently the owner here who has been in this business for forty years. He showed us his designs which categorically stood out from his contemporaries. One could see Warli art, modernistic shapes, products with utility, etc. Maintaining his trade secret, he only revealed about an ongoing project with the European market which requires exports of candles.
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Sketch of the wooden toy
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Artefacts at Moonstar Emporium
Sri Beereshwara Arts and Crafts
Organisations
One of the noted artisans in the district of Channapatna is Sri Venkatesh Beereshwara who started the Sri Beereshwara Arts and Crafts in 2011. Also known as Katerpillar, they export wooden candle holder, manufacture, and supply other wooden handicrafts, wooden toys, boxes,etc. Located in Kuvempu Nagar, they have spray area, lathe area and a godown in Beereshwara. In spray area, there are generally two coats of spray with the sprayer machine. They paint the wood with poster paints and acrylic paints. They also provide a free live demo to visitors who are keen on learning everything about the art. 9:00 A.M to 6:00 P.M are their working hours with Sundays as holidays. They encourage women employment. They also have other wooden toys apart from Channapatna toys which are used for educational and decorative purposes.
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Moonstar Emporium
Bharat Handicrafts and Exports Bharat exports was started Forty years back with Hundred workers but now only Ten people remain. Currently owned by Mohommed. Ilias, they have a sawmill and a factory in Satanur Circle from where all the timber comes. They also export the artefacts to Mumbai and Chennai. The workspace in Shahivadi consists of a factory on the ground floor with work space on the first floor with a narrow staircase. The top floor consists of colour mixing units, assembling units, painting workspace and polishing units. Vegetable dyes and natural colors are procured from Chennai. However, some years ago Bharat Exports used plastic, toxic dyes and paints which were banned. Today, the organisation uses only natural colours and dyes. They specialise in a customised range of products and accessories that cater to an elite audience. Most of the products are exported to places abroad as well as in India.
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Nagara saba channapatna, Kalanagara, Jeevanpura
Glossary
Glossary
Nodi.. Chanagaidiya- Look at it, is it looking nice? Unlogon ko lencha dene ka- We have to give them bribe Bejar ho gaya abhi? – Are you people restless? Koi help nahi milta- We don’t get any help Basri mara idu- This is Basri (type of a wood) wood. Power ka bahut problem hai- Too much of power cuts. Chai lenge aap- Would you like a cup of tea¬? Rakthchandana- Known as red sandal wood in Kannada. Ratanjyot tree- Known as Jatropha curcas and is a specie of a flowering plant. Kanchi Kumkum- Kanchi means ‘sacred’ and Kumkum refers to a red coloured pigment or powder used by Indian women. Devasthana- Means temple in Kannada. Agarbattis- Incense sticks
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Fun facts
Fun Facts
Ambegal Krishna and Aprameya Swami Temple are three thousand years old and it does not have a solid foundation and stands on sand. For all the movie buffs, Sholay was shot in the Ramanagar district. Madur is a place thirty kms away from Channapatna and is known for its delicacy Madur Vada. Ramanagar is popular for producing some of the world’s finest silk. Channapatna toys were the official representatives of the state Karnataka during the 65th Republic Day celebration of year 2015. Michelle Obama was gifted one of the Channapatna toys during the Republic Day celebration.
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Conclusion
Conclusion Channapatna with its cross cultural diversity and multi lingual heritage forms a rich part of the country’s culture. An art form that has been carried on for a hundred years offers a vast scope of inspiration for designers to incorporate the art and help in preserving the craft. The study on the craft and lives of the artisans educated us on the art form and its intricacies. It gave us an insight into how each artisan has incorporated his or her style without losing the spirit of the art. Not only did it teach us to appreciate the art, but also sensitized us, design students to appreciate how arts and crafts play a vital role in our lives. This journey for us was more than just a project. It gave us a chance to touch the lives of those people whose efforts go unnoticed and who seize to find value in their lives. Their struggle is a harsh but true reality telling us that there is more to life, only if we hold on to our faith and hope for a better future. This symbiotic interaction gave us and the artisans a purpose worth living and striving for.
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Bibliography
Bibliography
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x5859e/x5859e04.htm http://design-for-india.blogspot.in/2007/10/revisiting-chennapatna-toys-after-30.html http://www.dsource.in/resource/channapatna-toy-ii http://www.indianmirror.com/culture/indian-specialties/channapatnatoys.html http://mayaorganic.com http://www.varnam.co.in/About-Us-pid-241194.html cauverycrafts.com/ www.kavericrafts.com https://www.google.co.in/search?q=tipu+sultan&biw http://gaatha.com/channapatna-toys-history-process/ www.wikipedia.com Reports on Craft Clusters
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The Team Aashrita Indurti Aman Prateek Ananya Chaudhary Arvind Bhavya Malviya
National Institute of Fashion Technology