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"KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
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BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that this document is a bonafide work of Pankhuri Kanwar, Ridhi Brahmwar, Supriya, Uttara Garg, Veer Vaidya and Yakshit Goel of Semester V, 2010-14 batch, who worked upon this document under my supervision.
MR. GIRINATH GOPINATH Asst. Prof Accessory Design NIFT, Bengaluru
WHAT
1.
IS
CHANNAPATNA? INTRODUCTION Channapatna is a small city which falls in the state of Karnataka. It is about 60 kms from Bangalore, on the Bangalore - Mysore highway. The city is also known as “Gombegala ooru” which means toy town in English. Channapatna taluk falls in under Ramanagara district. Channapatna is famous for its wooden lacquer-ware toys which are manufactured in traditional or advanced small scale industries all around the city. Known as the toy town, Channapatna is a place worth visiting. For anyone the place can be challenging because of the heat, not very good lodging and food facilities, travelling is usually done by sharing autos which can get quite inconvenient but keeping aside all this, the one thing that strikes a chord is the simplicity of the people. An auto wala if called even at 10 in the night would come to drop you off to your destination without ushering a word. Although language was a barrier for interacting, but at Channapatna they bring people who can communicate in Hindi so that it’s not difficult for us and smile about it.
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4. 1.School at Cauvery 2.Artisans at work 3.Rocking horses of Channapatna 4.Showpieces at display 5.Toys of new designs 6.School at Cauvery
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• GEOGRAPHICAL Geographically Channapatna is located at 12.65°N 77.22°E and has an average elevation of 739 metres (2424 ft). The average summer temperature is 38 °C and in winter it is 19 °C.
• DEMOGRAPHICS 1. The population consists of a majority of Muslims with a small section of people being Hindus.
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2. The major languages spoken are Kannada and Urdu. 3. There are 32 Panchayatas and 45 villages in Channapatna. 4. It has a population of about 1,98,239 (census 2011) and constitutes of about 46,849 families. 5. The city has 245 government primary schools, 23 higher secondary government schools and 8 post university government collages. 6. It has 1 government hospital,14 primary health centres and 8 private nursing
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homes. 7. Major occupations persuaded in the area are wooden lathe turned toys, twisting of raw silk, coconut, mango harvesting, animal husbandry and farming.
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8. The water for this town comes from a tributary of the Shimsha river and there is a check dam called Kanva dam on it too. 9. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MG NREGA) which is a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household is provided in the city.
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HISTORICAL INFORMATION OF THE CRAFT There are two histories related to the place. Channapatna’s legacy of toys goes back to the time of Tipu Sultan, when Mysore was his reigning capital. More than two centuries back, Tipu Sultan had invited Persian artisans to train the locals of Channapatna. They started with carving toys out of ivory; later they switched to rubber, cedar and teak. As early as 1892, hereditary artists called “Chitragars” were engaged in wood-turnery which is the basis of lacquer ware artistry. Bavasmia, a local artist, is known as the originator in Channapatna and nearby areas. He went to study lacquer ware in the north-west-
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"KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
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4. 1.Children of Channapatna 2. Ivory Toys 3. Tipu Sultan 4. House in Channapatna 5. Pet in Channapatna 6. Temple
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ern state of Punjab. After a period of experimentation, he introduced study of the craft at the Industrial Channapatna. The machine lathe was introduced in Punjab for making rifles and that’s how Bavasmia also mechanized the craft through the power lathe. Though Bavasmia introduced lac-turnery to encourage the Chitragar, their response was hesitant, and so admission was opened to students of other castes and religions. Bavasmia Muslims and scheduled caste members to join the course; even today, the majority of Channapatna craftspeople belong to these communities.
SOCIO- CULTURAL INFORMATION OF THE CRAFT Channapatna and toys go hand in hand. The names are taken together so often that either seems incomplete without the other. This craft is rooted in the place and has been going on over the generations. You walk the roads and all you see is a brightly coloured palate laid out for you.
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The lacquer ware industry began as a household craft that catered to the local tourist market of Karnataka. Many artisans sold their wares on the roadside at Channapatna and in the last twenty years, the industry has grown rapidly. It now exists as small and medium scale enterprises, serving a large export market. Due to the phenomenal growth and market forces from abroad, the nature of employment, the demands on artisans and the character of the artisans has changed dramatically. The craft is the lifestyle of the people there. The kids have grown up seeing their fathers and mothers devoting their lives over these beautifully crafted toys, and wish to do the same. Though there has been a change in the outlook of the people there. The parents want their kids to study and do other work rather than getting in the same field. According to them, they have spent enough effort in the field and want their wards to continue with something different instead of carrying it forward. The craft has been rich in its authenticity and is respected over the place. Though it is found in abundance at Channapatna, the people haven’t lost their share of respect towards the craft as it has been means of food, clothing and shelter for them. The craft has uplifted women and provided women employment, which helps them gain the dignity among people rather than being just house wives, which are not looked after. Due to better employment of men and women, their children can attend schools and dream of places beyond Channapatna rather than
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4. 1. Woman making beedi 2. Shabi Ahmed 3. Small shop 4. House under construction 5. Children playing 6. Street Lights
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shutting their doors for the world that has so much to give. A 200-year old legacy however found itself on shaky ground when the markets were flooded with ‘Made in China’ products; low cost Chinese toys and plastic playthings soon replaced these native toys. Livelihoods were threatened, but thankfully not for long. The government and NGOs were able to rein in the damage and transformed Channapatna’s state of affairs. Decades back, toys were very famous in the country, but that was of course before the Chinese took control of the market. The local produce was pushed away; it’s only in the last 3-4 years that the market is looking up again. Due to this issue there has been a change in the thought process and the outlook of the people who belong there. There was a time when they had given up on the craft and now NGO’s and the government is trying to keep it alive.
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WHATARE
1.
CHANNAPATNA TOYS
MADE UP OF? RAW MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION TO RAW MATERIAL Wood: The wood mainly used in this craft is hale or scientifically known as Wrightia tinctoria, this wood is light in color. Almost a shade between off white and yellow. It is a soft wood and does not have any smell. Hale wood is close grained, moderately hard and is best suited for turning and lac application. The wood does not require any chemical treatment. Also when worked upon the wood does not not chip and break. The residue of the wood is like powder.
Lac: Lac is a natural resin secreted by a insect known as the lac beetle or the Laccifer Lacca. Only the female bug produces lac and it takes 1,00,00 bugs to make 500gms of lac. Lac or scale insects live on particular variety of trees that grow in India usually found in places like West Bengal and Tamil nadu. Lac is obtained in flake form as it has to be scraped off from the trees. When heated,
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4. 1. Lac sticks 2. Halemara wood 3. Telegari leaf 4. Assorted lac sticks 5. Halemara wood pieces 6. Lac applied on wood
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it melts at a low temperature and hence is moldable which is further combined together to obtain the desired form. The secretion which forms a thin crust on the bark of the tree is scraped off and processed to obtain lac. Lac is non toxic. The highest quality lac is referred to as button lac. It is light and golden colored and can cost up to a lot. Second is a medium brown color and the third, which is the poorest quality of lac is dark black.
Leaves: 6.
Talegiri also know as screw pine leaf is the polishing agent used in the craft. The tree grows locally and is also easily available all over Karnataka. Found on the coast and along the banks of rivers, canals, fields and ponds, the screw pine often has aerial roots. The leaf is an important accessory in lacerware polishing. It imparts a translusence to the finish. A bundle of 100 leaves costs Rs 20. Small raw materials like oil, sand paper, wire and springs are locally available in the hardware stores.
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DESCRIPTION OF RAW MATERIALS Halemara Wood: This wood is light in color, the shade of the wood being towards off white. It has no particular smell and is a soft wood. The grains of this wood are close so when cut does not form chips or wood chunks. It gets powered when it is cut and worked upon the lathe. Another property of this wood is that is doesn’t need to be treated with any chemicals. It naturally resists most ailments. One drawback of this wood it that as it is very soft it tends to crack easily during seasoning because of which large pieces cannot be worked upon this wood.
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Lac: Lack looks like any other natural resin. The color of lac varies from type to quality. The color ranges from golden brown to a deeper brown. The best quality of lac is golden brown and as the quality reduces the color becomes darker. This naturally exists in a solid state but melts on relatively low temperature. When in a semi solid state it is sticky. It is a very good natural polishing agent. Lac is not absorbed by the wood but it settles in the grains of the wood to give it that polished finish. Natural and chemical dyes can be mixed with lac when it is in its semi solid state to give it the desired colour.
Screw Pine Leaf: The leaves of the screw pine like any other palm-like evergreen tree has bunch of long thick leaves and grows densely in branches.
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4. 1. Colourful beads 2. Wood Sanchas 3. Stored sanchas 4. Wood kept for seasoning 5. Wood kept for seasoning 6. Halemara Leaf
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The leaves are taken and dried completely. There is no treatment done to the leaves. After drying the leaves become brownish green in color. The leaves exist in long thin strips.
PREPARATION AND STORING OF RAW MATERIAL: Wood Preparations:
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When wood comes freshly cut from the mills it has high water content. Wet wood cannot be used to make products and hence the water has to be dried out. As wood has the tendency to absorb water the wood has to be dried in dry places. It is essential to make sure the wood is properly seasoned because non uniform swelling of the wood may cause the wood to crack. The process of drying the wood naturally or artificially is known as seasoning of wood and this is the primary preparation done before the wood is used. There are two kinds of seasoning of wood. • Air Seasoning • Kiln Seasoning
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Air seasoning: Air-drying is the drying of timber by exposing it to the air. The technique of air-drying consists mainly of making a stack of the wood on raised foundations, in a clean, cool, dry and shady place. Rate of drying largely depends on climatic conditions, and on the air movement (exposure to the wind). For successful air-drying, a continuous and uniform flow of air throughout the pile of the timber needs to be arranged. Coating the planks with any substance that is relatively impermeable to moisture can control the rate of loss of moisture; ordinary mineral oil is usually quite effective. Coating the ends of logs with oil or thick paint, improves their quality upon drying. Wrapping planks or logs in materials, which will allow some movement of moisture, generally works very well provided the wood is first treated against fungal infection by coating in petrol/gasoline or oil. Mineral oil will generally not soak in more than 1-2 mm below the surface and is easily removed by planning when the timber is suitably dry. There are many ways of piling the wood for seasoning the most common fashion of stacking up the timber was in the hatched form with spaces on the middle for the air to circulate. The storage unit had vent for circulation of the air so that the room does not become humid.
Kiln Seasoning: Kiln seasoning of timber is also known as artificial seasoning of timber. The wood is fired in this method to dry up its water content. For this method of seasoning the wood is stacked up in solid pile manner with the fire
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4. 1. Air- seasoning of wood 2. Seasoned wood stored 3. Seasoned wood stored 4. Craft at CCP 5. Seasoned wood pieces 6. Wooden sanchas
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at the ends. The process of kiln drying consists basically of introducing heat. For this purpose, the timber is stacked in chambers, called wood drying kilns, which are fitted with equipment for manipulation and control of the temperature and the relative humidity of the drying air and its circulation rate through the timber stack. Kiln drying provides a means of overcoming the limitations imposed by erratic weather conditions. In kiln drying as in air drying, unsaturated air is used as the drying medium. Due to the kiln seasoning the wood develops a dark layer on the top. Carbon deposits on the top of the wood. This top layer is scraped off by removing 1mm of wood from the top.
Wood Storing: The wood is stored in chambers. The seasoned wood needs to be kept in a place with unsaturated air and no humidity as wood has a tendency to absorb water and swell up. This swelling causes cracking of the wood. The wood is stored in piles and the wood is kept in a hatched pattern. so that the air circulation is maintained.
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Lac Preparations: Lac is a natural resin obtained from the lac beetle. The lac is scraped off the tree barks were the bugs secrete the resin. It is obtained in the form of flakes then all of it is melted together and sold. The impurities are removed from lac. The lesser the impurities in the lac obtained the better the quality of lac. The lac is heated first over fire with the help of tow sticks. The sticks are used to suspend the lac over the fire heat. Im almost no time the lac becomes semi solid. Then once the lac is melted enough the natural dye is added to the lac.
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• Yellow: Turmeric powder • Bluish Black/ Bluish Green: Indigo powder • Orange : Kanchi Kum Kum powder • Red: Manjishta (Natural Alizarin) + Kanchi Kum Kum • Green : Indigo + Turmeric • Light Brown: Catechu (Katha) • Dark Brown: Ratanjyot Chemical dyes are also added to the lac at times to obtain colours like pink, purple etc.
Lac Storing: Lac is stored in the form of sticks. The hot colored lac is rolled and cut into sticks. These sticks are stored. The lac can be damaged by water but not by humidity. Also the sun may cause the lac to lose its color so it should not be stored in sunlight.
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4. 1. New designs at Katerpillar 2. Finished products 3. Show pieces at display 4. Lac colours 5. Finished products 6. Stacking of a toy
Screw pine leaves: 5.
The leaves are dried first then once the leaves have dried up they are soaked in water so that they become soft. These leaves are then stored, no precautions and specifications are required.
LOCAL NAMES AND SOURCING:
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Wrightia Tinctoria locally know as Halemara wood or also know as ivory wood due to its light color is sourced from nearby areas. The wood is easily available as it grows in most areas in Karnataka. The wood is locally sourced from nearby areas on demand. The wood is transported by roadway means in trucks. There are usually problems transporting this wood because of overweight and often due to the color of the wood it is mistaken to be sandal wood, which happens to be illegal to cut. Lac is imported from places like Maharashtra, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Lac used to be locally available but now it is imported. The lac has become very expensive and hence it is becoming harder for the artisans to source lac.
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The lac has become very expensive and hence it is becoming harder and harder for the artisans to source lac. Screw pine leaves or locally knows as Talegiri are sourced locally as well. They are easily available as the tree grows in plenty all over the state and close by areas.
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Other small raw materials like springs and wires are locally available and are sourced from hardware stores.
MATERIAL PROCUREMENT AND PROBLEMS IN OBTAINING IT: Independent Unit (Neelsandra): Each independent unit comprised of only onE artisan. He consumed about 300 -350 grams of lac every week. The wood was supplied by the agents according to demand.
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Small Unit (Kalanagar, Fort Road, Sayedwadi): Each unit had about 6-7 people working. One person consumed about 2-3 sticks of lac. Their weekly consumption of lac was 3-4 kgs. The wood was supplied according to demand. Large Unit (Maya Organics And Katerpillar): Maya organics had 35 people working in the lathe unit. The amout of lac sticks consumed by one person per day was 2-4 sticks and their weekly consumption of lac was 5565 kgs. The wood was stacked up. One truck of wood was stored at each time. Whereas at Katerpillar the number of artisans working was 16 and their weekly consumption of lac was 25-30 kgs. This information varied a little due to demand. The wood again was stacked up, one truck at a time.
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4. 1. Preparing wood 2. Katerpillar 3. Products at display 4. Wood on lathe 5. Artisan working on lathe 6. Products at display
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There are some difficulties in sourcing the material. Wood is becoming very difficult to source. Often the ivory wood is mistaken to be sandal wood and as sandal wood is illegal to be exported the wood is not transported to the artisans. Another common problem is the over loading of trucks. Overloaded trucks aren’t allowed to dispatch material and this causes the wood to be more expensive. The lac is becoming very difficult to import. Lac is no longer available locally and so it has become very expensive and the artisans have to pay for the material and for its transportation.
ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS: There were some other materials that were used other than the conventional raw materials as well. These materials were • Wax • Poster paints and Varnish • Teak wood
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Wax was being used by very few units. Wax was being used to finish the wood in place of lac. This was the design requirement for one of the agents. The wax didn’t give the wood a very glossy finish but it gave the wood a nice matte finish instead. The cost of the wax was lesser than lac. Poster paints were being used to make design on bangles and other toys. The articles were painted first and then varnished. But in some cases the object was painted and then coated with colorless lac. The use of poster pains was quite popular. The paints and varnish were locally available in the market and are not very expensive as well.
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In some cases we saw that in place of the conventional hale wood, teak wood was being used. The use of teak was quite popular in manufacturing beads. The teak was not coated with lac in most cases. The teak wood is more grainy but cheaper than hale wood. The teak wood was also easily available, as compared ti halemara wood. It was usually given to the workers by the agent as teak was also used on customer demand.
3. SUITABILITY OF RAW MATERIAL: Wood: In case of wood the criteria to check whether the wood was fit to be used was to check if the wood was still wet from the inside. The wood needs to dry up completely from the core before it can be used. This is done to avoid cracking of the product later. There should be no moisture in the wood and they
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4. 1. Brushes for painting 2. Man painting articles 3. Products at display 4. Poster paint bangles 5. Poster paint bangles 6. Making bangles on lathe
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check this by cutting the wood. If the wood is still wet from the inside it means it is unfit to be used and needs to be seasoned more.
Lac:
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Before using the lac and letting it dry in the production purpose one needs to check if the perfect desired color is obtained and that the color is uniformly mixed up. To check if the lac is fit to be used, it has to be checked at the time of mixing the color in the lac, when it is in semi solid state. The maker takes the lac and stretches it out in sunlight to check if the perfect color is obtained. With every dash of color the lac is suspended in the sunlight to see if no color blobs are formed and to see if the color is dark or light enough.
Leaves: The screw pine leaves don’t need any kind of inspection. They just need to be dried off completely before they can be used. Dried up leaves have a brown color with hardly any trace of green. Whereas the other leaves are greener in color.
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WHAT MAKES
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A CHANNAPATNA TOY?
TOOLS & MACHINES LOCAL NAMES, SIZE AND MATERIAL OF TOOLS: • Square headed chisel: Matu-lay (type 1- 6-8” blade and 4”handle, type 2- blade4-5” and handle-4”) • Round headed chisel: Quli (type16-8” blade and 4”handle, type2blade4-5” and handle-4”) • Marking tool: Bayer-gay (type16-8” blade and 4”handle, type 2blade4-5” and handle-4”) • Bow for hand lathe: Bil-col (2.5 feet) • Hand lathe: Patri (length-2.5 feet , breath- 1.2-2 feet) • Jaw of hand lathe: Muday (3-4 inches) • Vice/tool rest for hand lathe: Dubbay (3 feet) • Stool for hand lathe: Kal-madey (height 3” length18” breath 8”) • Clamp: Chandrika (6-7”) • Chisel: Bacchii ( handle-8” blade-6”)
Material
• Wooden handles • Steel blades
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4. 1. Bacchhi 2. Quli, Muday 3. Working with a wire 4. Tools used by the artisans 5. Bow lathe and lathe tools 6. Round compass
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NEW TOOLS AND MACHINES: STORY OF THE LATHE A wood turning lathe rotates a piece of wood mounted between two fixed points. The wood is shaped by tools held against the rotating wood and finished with sand paper. While commercial wood turning lathes are available, wood turning has been practised from at least the 6th century BC and possibly for several hundred years.
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It is imprecise because no one knows exactly on what date any of them first came into existence. It should also be noted that the earlier lathes were not made obsolete as soon as a new type came into existence.
The Bow Lathe The bow lathe is very similar to the strap lathe but the motive power is supplied by a bow. The string of the bow is wrapped around the work piece and a reciprocating motion is created by moving the bow backwards and forwards. Whereas the strap lathe requires two people to work it, the bow lathe requires
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only one. The drawback is that less power is available and the turner has only one hand to control the tool. In some cases the turner uses his foot to help steady the tool. Due to these deficiencies only small work is done on the bow lathe. We saw the artisans working on bow lathes in Neelsandra. All workers in that locality were working on the bow lathe. The artisans worked on the lathe with the help of their hands and feet. One hand was used to make the lathe rotate with the help of the bow and the other hand was used to hold the tool and one foot was used to take support from, while shaping the object.
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Motor Lathe During the Industrial Revolution, wood lathes began to become mechanized. Turning power was produced by water wheels or steam engines and was transferered to the lathe using line shafts. This advance technology allowed much faster and simpler carving. Beginning at the end of the 19th century, electric motors began replacing mechanical power generation and line shafting. On the motor lathe the belt was attached to the motor the pole on the top. The motor caused the belt to rotate and when the belt was attached to the shaft of the lathe, the lathe rotated. One end of the lathe had the place to fit the wood and on the other end there was a fan made out of plastic bottle to provide the workers with air. After the motor lathe more advance lathes were introduced. These lathes did not need
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4. 1. Channapatna Crafts Park 2. Motor Lathe 3. Bow Lathe 4. Map of CCP 5. Workspace at Cauvery 6. Bow lathe
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any man power. The design had to be fed into the computer then the lathe imitated the pattern. These kinds of machines can produce upto 400-500 number of objects in an hour or two. The production rate is very high in these machines and can perform complicated designs in no time. We saw such machinery in the Craft Park.
HIGH TECH CRAFTS PARK AT THAGACHAGERE
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A Crafts Park for woodware and natural fibre has been established at Channapatna, about 40kms from Bangalore. This park was established by the Government of Karnataka at the behest of the EPCH, to rejuvenate the lacquer craft and provide training & research as well as development facilities related to crafts made from natural fibre. Spread over 14 acres, the park will have a CFSC for woodcrafts and a CFSC for natural fibre. Member-exporters of the Council have been allotted plots within the park for building their individual work sheds. The project has been funded under the ASIDES programme of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.
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The office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) is funding the machinery for the CFSC for woodcraft. A special purpose vehicle comprising of representatives of the Government of Karnataka, office of the DC(H), EPCH and the members-allotted in the park, is being envisaged to manage and administer the Park. Mr. Raj Kumar Malhotra, Chairman-EPCH and Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Executive Director EPCH, had an interactive meeting with member-allottees at the crafts park and assured them financial and design assistance from the Council to make the park, a centre for manufacture of quality wood and natural fibre products machines available at crafts park.
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Machines available at the Crafts Park 1. Auto copy shaper inner: the maximum limit is 75mm 2. Auto copy shaper outer: the maximum limit is 28”x3”/700mm 3. Auto wood lathe: it can perform 3 tasks at a time - cutting, finishing, and drilling. The maximum cutting thickness is 3”. 4. Stapling machine: used normally for 45˚ photo frames. It is pneumatic driven and its maximum stapling thickness is 50mm. 5. Mitre cut off machine: maximum cutting thickness is 65 mm pneumatic as well as power driven. 6. Straight line ripsaw: maximum cutting height is 75 mm, conveyor belt driven, gives good shiny finishing.
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4. 1. Auto wood lathe 2. Double shaft sponge sander 3. Pneumatic router 4. Open belt type sander 5. Auto copy shaper outer 6. Dust collector
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7. Sliding table panel saw: can cut at an angle of 45˚ to 135˚ tilt, speed is 10,000 rpm, manual, rough finish. 8. Auto twin table tenoner: can create straight, cylindrical, tilt, T-tenon, dovetail tenons, in 1 hour 100 piece can be done. 9. Auto twin table slot mortiser: power as well as pneumatic driven. 10. Pneumatic router: manual, pneumatic as well power driven. 11. Spindle shaper: for edge shaping.
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12. Open type belt sander: for rough finish, maximum sanding thickness 150mm, can be used for 80˚ to 120˚. 13. Horizontal oscillating sander for small pieces: for straight pieces. 14. Double shaft sponge sander 15. Horizontal drum sander 16. Dust collector
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IMPACTS:
At conventional level artisans use hand lathes to make the toys but on bigger scale production mechanized lathes are used. In worksheds, a single motor is used to run the 8 small lathe machine. These motors run on electricity and have conveyer belt connected to one end, which runs the other small lathe machines. These machines are customized by the craftsmen and can be dismantled and assembled anywhere. To stop the lathe the belt is manually removed from the main line and the lathe gets switched off, without affecting the other lathes. Highly advanced machines at Crafts Park provides the artisans with the good finishing, quality job and in lesser time. Crafts park helps the artisans to produce the crafts in cheaper rate than the market or in other places or workshops in Channapatna. As a result, the poor artisan can increase their production rate and enjoy the profits of the crafts. There was no need to rotate the wood manually in a motor lathe, only the tool had to be handled manually to give the shape to the wood. Due to this the artisans could produce more number of objects per day and bigger products could be made on the motor lathe as making big products on the bow lathe was a limitation. As technology prospered better machinery was invented. The motor lathe was replaced by electrically operated lathes and they could produce up to 400 turnings in one hour.
TOOL MAINTENANCE
In mechanical lathe machine, artisans do oiling in electric motor barrings and oscillating
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4. 1. Stapeling Machine 2. Auto copy Shaper 3. Brief at CCP 4. Horizontal Oscillating sander 5. Vertical drum sander 6. Stone used to grind files
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rod barring from time to time to maintain the flow, and if it gets jammed then they dismantle the parts as the lathe they are using is easy to dismantle and assemble it again. They also remove the dust particles. The tools which the artisans use are usually bought from the junk yards. They buy the old blunt tools and fix them and reuse the tools. Another option that they have is to rent the tools from nearby hardware stores where the artisans get a tool kit for rent at the price of Rs 90 per month. This rate is fixed by the government. This is how the artisans get new tools at a low price. Also the lathes that they set up in their workshops are easy to set. So they purchase a motor from the junkyard or use the auto motors and set up the lathe. The continuous use of lathe tools makes them blunt after a period of time, so in a bigger workshop artisans have electric grinders to sharpen the tools while in small workshops, where hand lathes are used, they rub the tools against the stone to achieve the sharpness. Artisan make the components themselves.
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HOW CHANNAPATNA
1.
IS A
TOY MADE?
MAKING OF PRODUCTS PRE-PREPARATION To prepare the product a number of things have to be done before hand.
2.
These include seasoning the wood. The wood which is locally know as hale-mara has to be seasoned for at least 3 to 4 months before it is workable. For this the wood is kept in a room which is well ventilated for the stipulated time. The wood is never sun dried because direct heat of the sun cracks up the wood. The screwpine leaf locally known as Telegari has natural oils in it and which is required for getting the sheen on Channapatna products (for which they are famous worldwide). This leaf also has to be dried as it cannot be used in its natural state. The lac used for Channaptana products has to be mixed with colours (natural dyes from various sources) before it can be applied onto the products.
PROCESS For making the toys
34 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Halemara wood log 2. Product being made 3. Lac pieces 4. Making products 5. Halemara wood 6. Product being shaped
5.
6.
1. First the wood is cut to the approximate required size using a small hand held tool called bacchii. The pieces are usually 20 cms or less. 2. This piece of wood now has to be fixed onto the lathe. Hale mara being a soft wood can be easily fixed on the jaws of a lathe by hitting the wood from the working side (opposite side) using the handle of any tool which is being used for shaping the wood. Sometimes a mallet can be used too. The artisans have the overhead belt drivers that are driven by a small motor and one end of the belt drive converts the vertical motion into horizontal circular motion. 3. After the wood is fixed on the lathe machine it has to be made circular in cross section for this a tool called matulay (a square headed chisel) is used. A movable vice is moved as per the design and requirement of the artisan. The tool is rested on the vice and moved in a direction which is perpendicular to the circular motion of the wood which results in perfect circular cross section of the wooden piece. After this if the design
"KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA 35
requires a hole in the centre, it is made hollow from the centre.
1.
In some factories artisans can themselves make the wooden pieces circular while other factories buy already circular and sometimes even hollow wooden logs from nearby mills. 4. Using the marking tool known as bayergay the outside diameter of the piece to be made is marked. The diameter of the piece is checked too with a round compass. 5. Using quli (round headed chisel) and mutulay(square headed chisel) the wooden pieces are shaped. This task requires a skilful hand and a lot of practice to make hundreds of similar pieces.
2.
6. Before proceeding onto lac application the piece is filed slightly using a sand paper to get a smooth finish. 7. Then a screwpine leaf is rubbed on the surface of the piece. After the surface is slightly oiled the coloured lac is rubbed on it. The heat generated by this frictional force melts the lac and forms a thin layer of lac on the surface of the wood. Now to make the piece shiny the leaf is rubbed hard against the surface of the wood and makes the lac uniform on the surface. This gives the piece its shine and colour. 8. To detach the piece the square headed tool matulay is used to cut the piece from the rest of the wood. 9. The piece is off the lathe and can be sent for painting, assembling, etc.
36 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Round compass 2. Bangles ready to be sold 3. Lathe machine 4. Lathe tools 5. Artisan working on lathe 6. Lathe turned bases
5.
10. The pieces can be stuck to each other with fevicol, or can be assembled using yarn or similar materials. Any other material if has to be added like cloth etc can be added now according to the design. Painting also is done now. This completes the total making process of a Channapatna product.
SEQUENCE OF STEPS • Cutting of wood into small required sizes • Mounting the wood piece onto the lathe
6.
• Making the circular in cross section • Shaping the wood • Filing
Application of lac Removal of the piece from the lathe machine Finishing processes ie painting, assembling, sticking etc
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TIME DEVOTION DIFFERENT PROCESSES 1.Fix wood on the lathe 2. Shaping 3. Finishing with sand paper 4. Lac application
1. TIME TAKEN BY EACH STEP 3 Seconds 1 Minute 50 Seconds 5 Seconds 2 Minutes
GENDER BASED WORK AND ANALYSIS The process of making these toys is unique and eco-friendly. Hale wood (Wrightia Tinctoria) is the wood used as the base as it is soft, suitable for turning procedure and easily available as fast growing trees in southern India. The trees are not cut in order to procure the wood, the branches are usually used which does not harm the tree. Making of toys is not an easy job, it has many steps to go through to get a finished product. The method can be divided into shaping, preparing dyes, lac application and polishing.
A) Cutting of wood: The wood which they get from the forest is very huge and irregular in shape, so it has to be cut into smaller sizes for further use. This work is male oriented, since it requires more power and is sometimes dangerous.
38 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
2.
3.
4. 1. Man working on lathe 2. Women working on lathe 3. Women assembling products 4. Shaping of wood 5. Toys being assembled 6. Women at work
5.
6.
B) Shaping: After the wood is ready it is shaped on the lathe machine using hand tools. First it is made into cylinder then it is further shaped into actual size and shape. Shaping is done using both hand lathe as well as power lathe. The lathe work is mainly male oriented, but in Maya Organics which is an organised sector we found many female artisans working on it. There were 35 artisans out of which only 9 were male and 26 were female. Where as in Syed’s self-help group there were only male workers. In Munniappa Dodi we found both the genders working on hand lathe.
C) Mixing of lac into the natural dyes: In this process pure lac is heated on charcoal fire and is mixed well with sticks to form a solution, later made into long sticks. This is done by the male artisans itself.
"KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA 39
D) Colouring: Coating the toy with bright and vibrant colours is the most significant and fascinating process done with skilful manipulation of the lac coloured sticks. The artisans who give the basic shape do the colouring also. The wooden toy is then smoothed before its set for colouring. The long rods which are made by mixing lac and dyes are now used by pressing it to the toy which is set to rotate on the lathe machine.
E) Polishing: Once the colouring is done a final touch is given to the toy by polishing it with palm leaves and sometimes screw pine leaves. This gives a shine and gloss to the toy. Even this work is done by the artisans who work on the product because it continues into the other.
1.
2.
F) Hand painting: For some toys they need some minor hand paintings to be done, which is done with brushes. Products like dolls and bangles are painted to enhance the beauty of it. The painting work is mainly done by women in Kalanagar. We saw many women who were doing painting work in their homes itself.
G) Assembly: When all the parts of the toy are ready they are assembled according to the drawings with the help of stretchable threads which are strong enough to handle the stress. Large group of women were found working in the assembly work, few of them worked in
40 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1.Assembly 2.Bow lathe handled by male 3.Car seat cover assembly 4.Craftsman 5.Bow lathe handled by female 6.Husband and wife on bow lathe
5.
the industry itself and more women were found working in their homes. In Munniappa Dodi we found many womendoing assembly work, they were making seat covers for cars using beads made on hand lathe. In Maya organics we saw that there were two SHGs, Suhana and Sneha, each of them having five female members who were working in the assembly department.
H) Packaging: 6.
Once the toy is finished and assembled, all that is left is packaging. No doubt that the toys are beautiful but the packaging was not focused upon, with the exception of Maya Organic, where EU standards were followed. Proper packaging was done only in Maya Organic where we saw both male and female workers working on packaging. On whole there were 4 people working out of which 1 was male and 3 were females. Rest of the toys were displayed other than doing the packing.
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41
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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1.
CHANNAPATNA MARKETING CASE STUDY MARKETING BANGLES Bangles are made in many small scale industries in Channapatna. There were many industries which solely produced them. To make one bangle i.e. from shaping it to lac application requires two and half minutes. Earlier bangles were only coated with lac but nowadays with an increased demand of newer design in the market, bangles are painted with Warli designs, Paisley motif and many more with a thin layer of transparent lac. They come in various shapes like the conventional round bangles, the newer twisted bangles etc. These bangles have a variety of colours and sizes. If required an artisan can personalize your bangle according to your preference.
Main market for Bangles Bangles produced are usually sold in local markets of Channapatna, and in nearby markets such as Bangalore and Mysore, and are also seen in emporiums and shops all over India.
Trading and changes in trading
44 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
2.
3.
4. 1. Thithli 2. Thithli 3. Bangles 4. Thithli 5. Bangles 6. Bangles
5.
These bangles are being made since a long time locally, but are now seen selling all over India.
THITHLI
6.
Thithli (Hindi for butterfly) is a pull along toy for kids designed and manufactured by Maya Organics. The colours used are all natural and hence is lead free and non toxic for kids to play with. This is a unique toy because it is one of the very few products which has pioneered in using fabric with wood and lac. It is designed in such a way that when you pull the string of the toy the wings of the butterfly move up and down.
Main market for Thithili? Thithi is mainly exported abroad or is sold in big cities in India. This is because it was manufactured keeping the international market in mind. These toys can also be bought online.
Trading and changes in trading Toys from Maya organics have always been traded since the factory was established in 1989. The only change is that now these toys can be bought online as well.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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WHAT
ARE
1.
GOOD PRODUCTS? PRODUCT ANALYSIS WHAT IS A GOOD PRODUCT? • Which sells in the market
2.
• Economic • Functional • Easy to manufacture • Aesthetically appealing
TOPS • The perfect top The top was supposed to begin its rotation on its round bottom and end with rotating on the tip of its stick.
• Failed product In the failed product the axis of the top was inclined hence it was wobbling while rotating, it was also not completing its full rotation.
• Why was it a failed product? Faults in the production process because it was manually made with approximations.
48 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Tops 2. Tops 3. Dipping ink pen 4. Tops 5. Wooden beads 6. Lathe turned pens
5.
DIPPING INK PEN • Perfect product A perfect pen has a certain capacity to hold ink after some time even after it has been dipped in ink.
• Failed product 1. Due to improper material and shape of the nib, the pen loses its capacity to hold ink.
6.
2. Sometimes due to economic reasons people use synthetic dyes for the colouration of lac. They can contain lead and other toxic materials which can be hazardous to kids. By doing this the purpose of a Channapatna toy of being non-toxic is not served. 3. Colours of the lac used for Channapatna toys can fade if kept out in the sun for prolonged periods. Hence outdoor products do not have a very long life and can be classified as failed products.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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51
FINAL STAGES OF
1.
CHANNAPATNA
TOYS
FINISHING AND PACKAGING FINISHING Once the products are off the lathe there is usually some amount of painting and finishing to be done on them. These include-
2.
1. Making small features on the toys or products like the eyes, mouth or such other essential features which complete the product. These were traditionally made with vegetable dyes but recently such small details can be added using a permanent marker. 2. Sometimes small motifs or paintings can be done on the product to increase its aesthetical value. For example the family dolls or bangles are painted so as to increase their value. Again earlier these were done with vegetable dyes but now they have switched to acrylic or poster paints. Some companies which require keeping a quality check on their products still use only vegetable dyes but other small scale facto-
52 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Pears made in Katerpillar 2. Wooden Beads 3. Woman at assembly 4. Bangles stacked 5. Beads assembled 6. Assembly being done
5.
ries use easier available and cheaper mediums to paint their products. Sometimes instead of applying lac on the product varnish is applied on to it.
ASSEMBLING Usually toys have more than one part in it hence they have to be assembled together before they are sent for packaging.
6.
The assembly of the toy varies from toy to toy. Some toys can be attached with only strings or yarns. Some toys may need some sticking, which is done with Fevicol. If the design demands cloth, it may also be attached with the toy. In key-chains for example the ring has to be attached before the product can be moved to packing. Hence the design and the product itself decides the amount of assembly which it requires. Usually all factories, big or small have an assembly unit separate from the manufacturing units.
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PACKAGING Now that the product is finished and assembled it is time for its packaging.
1.
Packaging depends upon various factors such as- if the products has to be exported to international markets, if the product has to be sold in the domestic market, if the product has to be sold in the local market. These factors govern how the products will be packaged.
• For International Markets Products sold in international markets have to follow packaging norms for that country. For example if the product has to be exported to Europe it has to follow EU standards/ norms.
2.
These include : Information with which consumers have access to the complete information of content and composition of the products. Hence packaging of such products are done in the following manner : A releasing sheet is wrapped around the product. It is a kind of butter paper on which nothing sticks. This is done because sometimes due to high temperature the lac which is applied tends to stick to the packaging. To tackle that problem this sheet is used. Then an insert box is fixed around the product so that the toy does not move during its journey.
54 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Packaging at Maya Organic 2. Packaging at Maya Organic 3. Seat covers being made 4. Final products 5. Packaging at Maya Organic 6. Products ready to be sold
5.
The whole product is then covered with an outside sleeve which is a kind of outer cover which has information such as, the bar code, instructions on how to use or play with it, certification, some motif or design.
• For domestic markets As Channapatna toys are made of wood, which are unbreakable (except under adverse conditions) they are packed in transparent polythene covers so that the lac does not stick to the other pieces due to the heat.
6.
But the toy may be kept in a cardboard box if it is manufactured from a big unit or if the client buying the toy demands for emphasis on packaging.
• For local markets Locally, Channapatna toys can be seen sold loose in shops and emporiums. It is also been directly sold by artisan while carrying out work for any organisation and firm.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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HOW DOES A TOY’S
1.
HOME
LOOK?
WORK SPACE AND ERGONOMICS Space ergonomics is very evidently identifiable and similar for the same work spaces, even if it is in different environments.
2.
According to the International Ergonomics Association: Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. Ergonomics caters to the comfort of the workers participating in a work space, and thus it is followed subconsciously even if the space is not worked out properly. Our visit to Channapatna made us aware of two different types of workspaces. Though the output was the same, the difference was due to the machines, product sizes and the manual and mechanized
58 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. Room for wood seasoning 2. Man at lathe 3. Man at lathe 4. Workspace stereo systems 5. Tools kept 6. Wood being seasoned
5.
6.
aspect. The first kind of work space was where the artisans worked on machine lathes. There would be multiple machines on a continuous table powered by one big lathe, and all the artisans would sit on either side of the table and work on their toys. The rooms were usually longer in length and almost all different places had similar width of rooms. The tables were mostly of a height of 35 inches with appropriate stool height. The difference between the height of the stool and table was approximately 8.5-9 inches. The stools mostly had square seats so that they could be kept either ways and the seats were flat. Some artisan even used cushions on the seats for comfort due to long hours of work. These measurements were followed by all, not only because it was a standard decided but because looking at it over time, these measurements were apt and proved comfortable work spaces. The average distance between two consecutive lathes was 28 inches with a plastic fan
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on the left side of the lathe, to air the person on the left of the lathe. The diameter of the lathe was 2.5 inches and that for the wheel that run along the centre line was 10 inches. The width of the table was approximately 45 inches, that provided enough space for the artisans to work, keep the lac sticks and place the manufactured products. What we found interesting was that all stools had wooden beams at the bottom so that the artisan could rest his legs and not just hang it in mid air. Also there was an additional rod on the table which served the same purpose. Due to this the posture attained by the artisans made them more efficient. Another important thing that was kept in mind was that there was enough space left between the artisans and the wall, so that anyone could walk around without disturbing or being disturbed. The second work space that we had visited was of artisans working on hand lathes. These lathes are completely manual, where both hands and a foot were used for the balancing and production of small beads. These lathes were placed at a height of 3 inches from the floor and the artisan sat on a stool of the same height as the lathe. There was a bow with the rope attached to it, which was used for moving the product to and fro. For an easy movement a pit was dug in the ground so that the process would not be hindered by the floor. There was a stick across the machine which was used to support the foot, so that proper balance of the body could be maintained.
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1.
2.
3.
4. 1. Radio at workstation 2. Almira at workspace 3. Bow lathe ergonomics 4. Peg for keys 5. Pit dug in the ground 6. Artisan painting
5.
The artisans would usually sit in the open and do the process of bead making using the hand lathes.
6.
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61
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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HOW
ARE
1.
CHANNAPATNA TOYS
DESIGNED?
MOTIFS AND DESIGNS COMMON MOTIFS AND INSPIRATION:
2.
Stripes There are no specific motifs in this craft. The primary feature of this craft is block colors. The most common feature is stripes. There are colorful stripes on many articles. Stripes of different colours and widths are common. The strips are the most easily attainable design on the lathe and hence they are very popular.
Cartoons Another recent design seen on the products are drawings of cartoon characters. As the major section of the production are toys, images of cartoons like cats, dogs, mouse , birds are painted on the toys. These are not very popular but has been an upcoming trend. The inspiration of these are existing cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Mickey Mouse.
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3.
4. 1. Stripes Motif 2. Bold colours 3. Cartoons on products 4. Strips 5. Flora and fauna 6. Warli art
5.
Flora and Fauna Another popular motif seen mostly on bangles and smaller items are patterns of flowers and birds and butterflies. The inspiration for these are taken from the surroundings, like the kind of flowers growing nearby and the types of birds seen around.
Warli Art
6.
Bangles and bookstands with warli motifs are also seen in some emporiums. The inspiration for this is the warli art from Maharashtra.
EVOLUTION OF DESIGN AND MOTIFS: The designs used in Channapatna have not really taken a turn in over the years but there have been some changes due to the modernization and influence of market demand. The traditional designs have been the same objects like the train, the dolls etc, but the design of these objects have changed. The
"KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA 65
designs have become more modernized as the train imitates the modern real train .There have been major changes in little things like joineries. The change in joineries has changed the very function of the product. For example the “Thithli� we saw in Maya Organic. In place of having wheels conventionally attached to the center of the axis they fix it a little above the axis and this was further attached to the wings which moved due to the movement of the wheels. There were some toys which were commissioned by the government as they have educational value. There were numbers or words made on the toy in place of the usually motifs like flowers or cartoons. Earlier there were no toys in the market with an educational purpose. Although the main motifs of the craft has always been block colors specially stripes. It has been also found that in some areas there is a very strong influence of Chinese motifs like manga art, doodle cartoons and the Russian family doll. They usually contain dark solid color faces made with help of poster and acrylic colors, on which final finishing is done by applying transparent lac polish. It can be one of the major change in designs and motif of Channapatna toys in future. Over the decades the product range has not changed, although there are additions to the toys as there are some toys that are not only locally popular but also in the national markets. So the artisans pick up the designs
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1.
2.
3.
4. 1. Products with new design 2. Wooden mannequin leg 3. New take on an old design 4. Products on display 5. Flat wooden bangles 6. New design of a bird
5.
that do well in the national market and see if they work in the local market as well. Over all the designs and motifs have not drastically changed but there has been a modernization in the design and motif aspect .
6.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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WHAT
IS THE STATUS OF
1.
CHANNAPATNA TOYS? IMPACT OF LOCAL CRAFT UTILITARIAN, SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECT The craft was originally brought by Tipu Sultan from Persia to India to have toys production in his empire. This technique of toy making has been carried on since then and has had a strong socio-cultural impact. This particular craft is the lifestyle of the people of Channapatna and has woven a strong web amongst them which binds them together. With the market changes, customers always look for a new candy for their eyes. Channapatna toys owing to their eco-friendly, no lead content nature have caught the eyes of the people. The colours and shapes are simple and bold which go hand in hand with this modernist’s society. The artisans understand the wants and demands of the customers and are providing smart products which are appreciated in the market and are not just considered as a traditional craft of India. This craft has moulded itself from a traditional Indian craft to a utilitarian craft for the homes. Channapatna ar-
70 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
2.
3.
4. 1 Yakhet 1. 2. Shafi Khan 3. Akram 4. Shabeer pasha 5. Sushila 6. Iqbal Shaheed
5.
tisans have developed lifestyle products such as napkin holders, lamps and vases which sell in the markets like sweet cake all over India and abroad. Educational toys have been a new venture that is readily accepted by schools to teach smart. Their traditional joineries have now been modified to form smarter products for the new generation.
PROBLEMS FACED BY ARTISANS Economic Backwardness 6.
1. Artisans produce the craft but due to illiteracy they have no knowledge of marketing, innovativeness in design, govt. services etc. 2. Infrastructural problems are faced like electricity, space constraints. 3. Due to economic backwardness, they have the problem in procurement of raw material like increasing price of lac and that is the reason most of the artisans did not want their children to continue the same occupa-
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71
tion. 4. Govt. restriction on raw materials is another problem which is faced by the artisans. Restriction on ‘halemara’ wood is the reason for the lack of interests of artisans in this crafts.
1.
5. The artisans complain about no government subsidies. They think that they are considered lower than the bidi workers, because most of the bidi workers have houses and have government subsidies. 6. The Channapatna Crafts Park benefits the traders and not the artisans.
2.
USE OF CRAFT IN THE LOCALITY This craft is happening almost in every part of Channapatna. Local people don’t show much interest in this craft. They are used to this craft. For them it’s just a craft happening behind their backdoors. Most of them buy directly from artisans or the factory as a normal decorative piece or as utility products like bangles, key chains, etc. The kids have skipping ropes whose handles are made at Channapatna. Most of the local people use Channapatna crafts to decorate and spread colours in their house using colourful lacquerware products. Apart from this, local people use the left over barks of halemara wood for the fire purpose to cook food generally. So the craft helps the
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3.
4. 1. Seasoned wood 2. Wooden apple 3. Halemara 4. Talegari 5. Kids playing 6. Tree in the neighbourhood
5.
local artisans to earn money as well as to eat food also.
6.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
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WHO HELPS CHANNAPATNA
1.
ARTISANS?
SHGs & OTHER ORG. WHAT IS A SELF HELP GROUP?
2.
A Self Help Group (SHG) is a village-based financial intermediary usually composed of 10–20 locals. The main motive of any Self Help Group is to make an individual self sufficient economically. They do it by organizing themselves into small groups of people who can help each other financially when and if required by some member of the group. Members make small regular savings contributions over a few months until there is enough capital in the group to begin lending. Funds may then be lent back to the members or to others in the village for any purpose.
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3.
4. 1. Syed SHG 2. Syed SHG 3. Syed SHG 4. Maya Organic 5. Maya Organic 6. Maya Organic
5.
HOW DO THE LOCALS BENEFIT FROM THEM? Self-help groups are started by Non-Profit Organizations (NGOs) that generally have broad anti-poverty agendas. Self help groups are seen as instruments for a variety of goals including developing, leadership, abilities among poor people, increasing school enrolments, improving nutrition and the use of birth
6.
control, and women empowerment. The concept of a SHG is to co-exist by helping each other by providing financial help amongst the group. Due to this an economically poor individual gains strength as part of a group. Besides, financing through SHGs there is a reduction in transaction costs for both lenders and borrowers. Over time, this ensures that the individuals are able to break their cycle of indebtedness and become increasingly self-
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reliant.
SYED SELF HELP GROUP
1.
Syed self help group was founded in 2007. It was a step to organise and benefit the owners of small scale industries of Syedwadi in Channapatna. Syed self help group was next to the Jamia Masjid in Syedwadi. It presently has 14 members. All members are owners of small scale industries and employ a few workers under them.
2.
The members each month contribute from Rs 50-200 as a part of their savings. When and if a member requires money he borrows it from the group and promises to pay back the amount in a stipulated amount of time with a small interest rate which is not mandatory to pay. This interest rate is smaller than the interest rate at which they may borrow from the bank. Also some banks may be unwilling to lend money to them hence being a part of the SHG they can borrow money from it.
SALMA SELF EMPLOYMENT GROUP Salma grew up in Channapatna seeing her father make toys. This inspired her to get to learn the craft and further promote it. Now
78 "KHEELAUNA" :TALES OF CHANNAPATNA
3.
4. 1. SHG member 2. SHG members 3. SHG member 4. Board of Channapatna 5. SHG member 6. Maya Organic since more than 25 years Salma self employ-
5.
ment group has been providing employment to local artisans. The company has been registered as N.S. Toys. There are more than 100 women involved who get regular orders to develop a fascinating array of toys. Salma also heads 18 SHG’s now.
6.
STONE WORKERS CO-OPERATION SELF HELP GROUP This self help group had 12 members. All the members of this self help group were owners of small stone finishing and polishing industries. They employed a few artisans under them. The aim of this SHG also was to make the people self sufficient economically.
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SUHANA AND SNEHA
1.
The assembly women in Maya Organic are part of two self help groups which are Suhana and Sneha. The aim of these self help groups is to organise the women working in Maya Organic so that they are not harassed in any way. It also promotes women empowerment.
MAYA ORGANIC Maya Organic is a Karnataka-based devel-
2.
opment organisation, which was initiated in 1989. Maya Organic is currently working with the lacware handicraft workers of Channapatna to build a sustainable fair-trade enterprise. It encourages women employment. Maya Organic works with communities across slums in all of Bangalore’s rural areas. All the members of the worker-owned enterprises are self-employed and shareholders of the enterprise; therefore they are entitled to the profits and benefits generated through the work executed.
KATERPILLAR Katerpillar is an organization somewhat like Maya organics. This organization ensures the jobs of the local artisans. Katerpillar also
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3.
4. 1. Cauvery 2. Katerpillar 3. Katerpillar 4. Katerpillar 5. SHG member 6. SHG member indulges in making a lot of different designs.
5.
Some of which flourish in the market and some don’t. They encourage new designs and also promote new crafts. They have also segregated their unit into lathe workers, assembly workers and painters. Katerpillar ensures that the income earned even for low skilled members does not go beyond the minimum wage prescribed. Also they provide their artisans with training so as to increase their productivity and skills levels.
6.
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WHAT IS CHANNAPATNA
1.
CRAFTS PARK?
S
CHANNAPATNA CRAFTS PARK
INTRODUCTION A Crafts Park for woodware and natural fibre has
2.
been established at Channapatna, about 40kms from Bangalore. This park was established by the Government of Karnataka at the behest of the EPCH, to rejuvenate the lacquer ware craft and provide training & research as well as development of facilities related to crafts made from natural fibre. Spread over 14 acres, the park has a CFSC for woodcrafts and a CFSC for natural fibre. Member-exporters of the Council have been allotted plots within the park for building their individual work sheds. The project has been funded under the ASIDES programme of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. The office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) is funding the machinery for the CFSC for woodcraft. A special purpose vehicle comprising of representatives of the Government of Karnataka, office of the DC (H), EPCH and the members-allotted in the park, is being envisaged to manage and administer the
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3.
4. 1. Channapatna Crafts Park 2. Channapatna Crafts Park 3. Model at display at CCP 4. Channapatna Crafts Park 5. Channapatna Crafts Park 6. Model at display at CCP Park. Mr. Raj Kumar Malhotra, Chairman-EPCH and
5.
Mr. Rakesh Kumar, Executive DirectorEPCH, had an interactive meeting with member-allottees at the crafts park and assured them financial and design assistance from the Council to make the park, a centre for manufacture of quality wood and natural fibre products.
6.
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STRENGTH, WEAKNESS, OPPORTUNITY & THREATS
1.
SWOT ANALYSIS STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES 1. The existing Bangalore – Mysore road has been upgraded to 4-lane expressway and has potential for investment in industry and tourism related projects.
2.
2. Broad-gauge rail connectivity through Bangalore. The existing broad-gauge track between Bangalore and Channapatna taluk doubled. 3. Scope for international recognition is possible as Bangalore has an international airport and is a major IT hub. 4. Channapatna toys are Government of India approved and are geographical Indications. 5. Government employees 1100 artisans in the Cauvery emporium for the enhancement of the craft. 6. Because of the rising awareness of the harmful effects of plastics wooden toys have more scope in the market.
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3.
4. 1.Colourful doors 2.Mile stone 3.Beads 4.Stone polishing 5.Tulsi at homes 6.Beads
5.
7. As the craft is being practiced in the rural areas of Channapatna it is opportunity for the uneducated to be employed and making a living.
WEAKNESSES AND THREATS
6.
♦
Inadequate power infrastructure.
♦
Lack of local entrepreneurship.
♦
Absence of perennial source of material.
♦ Lack of encouragement for traditional art and crafts. ♦ Enough wagers are not being paid to the artisans, this discourages the coming generations from participating the craft. ♦ Even though Channapatna toys are a geographical indication they are being mimicked, especially by the Chinese. And Chinese products being cheap sell more in the market. ♦ Earlier raw materials were cheaper which allowed the artisans to make more profits. As the raw material costs have hit the roof profits have
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declined and hence the craftsmen show no interest. ♌ Artisans being uneducated end up being cheated and manipulated by the middle man.
CRAFT INTERVENTION Supply Intervention Earlier the lac was locally sourced from nearby areas hence it was not very expensive and costed about 200 per kg. nowadays lac is imported from West Bengal and hence the rates have gone up to 1000 per kg. to stabilize this situation lac should be cultivated locally. There should be farms near and around Channapatna to breed the beetles which produce lac.
Design Intervention In today’s market a lot of fancy toys with intricate mechanism are available which are more appealing to children. This takes away the charm of a simple Channapatna toy. Designs with more market potential and interesting mechanisms and designs should be encouraged so that the products sell more.
Communication Interventions
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Artisan making a Sancha Piece being removed Colorful keychains Shaping of wood Telegari Leaf polishing Finished pieces
Even though a lot of companies work with Channapatna they don’t sell their products with the Channapatna label. Hence companies working in Channapatna should work on branding of their products as Channapatna craft in order to increase awareness among the people about the craft. Today as advertising plays a critical role in marketing and making people aware Channapatna toys should have their own brand value.
Product Interventions As Chinese products are taking over the market Channapatna is unable to compete with those toys. So expand their market and increase sales they should venture into making products other than toys such as lifestyle and home accessories.
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THINGS
YOU
DON’T
1.
KNOW ABOUT
CHANNAPATNA INTERESTING FACTS DOORS AND PILLARS Owing to its rich cultural heritage of two centuries, Channapatna has a lot of old wooden door, which catches a photographer’s eye. These doors are generally painted in bright colours contrasting to its walls. Also, small houses don’t have cemented pillars. The houses have very intriguing carved and lathe turned pillars.
2.
RANGOLI Every house in Channapatna had a rangoli adorning its entrance. Every day religiously the lady of the house made a new rangoli to mark the start of a new day. At some places there were flowers which were set on the road to make rangoli.
TEMPLE AND HOUSE COLOURS Channapatna was in a love affair with co-
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3.
4. 1.Cobwebs 2.Colours on walls 3.Painted walls 4.House 5.Temple 6.Shoes up on the roof
5.
lours where the houses and temples reflected their story and their vibrant lifestyle. Strong florescent colors in architecture made them photogenic they seemed like toys.
COBWEBS
6.
The more the no. of cobwebs in a workers factory, the more he boasted about his seniority. It was amazing to know that the age of cob webs varied from workshop to workshop which represented the work experience of the artisans.
LATHE FANS Creativity of the artisans was noticeable through the idea of reusing cut plastic bottles as fans while working on the lathes, which was attached to the left side of the consecuitive lathe.
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LOCAL GAMES AND SPORTS Its fascinating to know how the young generation of toy makers have this locally developed game of balancing a huge frame of wood inserted in a bottle on their heads.This might be the start of toy making aptitude. Despite their local toys they also played games like soccer, cricket, traditional cricket (GULI DANDA) and were also interested in learning new sports.
“CHOTI”
1.
2.
In India a flower is always personified as a girl. At Channapatna, the ladies would weave jasmine on girl’s hair during the day’s time and take it off by the evening.
PETS Animals have always been our best friends. You see a variety of them including goats, parrots, dogs, cats, sheep, and cows all around Channapatna.
RED TAPS What intrigued and caught our eye were these red taps which were there all around Channapatna. It was a nice change to see a colour added to the monotonous grey scale.
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3.
4. 1. Sleeping beauty 2. Choti 3. School kid 4. Red tap 5. Balancing game 6. Stone shining
5.
KIDS Kids ran behind the camera as soon as they saw one. We now have enough kid photos to make a kids directory for Channapatna.
STONE SHINING AND GEM MAKING
6.
Inspite of toy making craft there existed a craft of stone shining. It was an art in which normal stone used to be filed and then buffed with Hale wood to make is look like gems. This art has existed in Channapatna for around 60 years now, but is not found all over Channapatna. It might evolve as one of the major crafts in Channapatna in the future.
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Bibliography • http://www.dsource.in • http://www.google.co.in/search?sugexp=chrome,mod=19&sour ceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=katerpillar • http://www.google.co.in/search?q=channapatna+toys&hl=en& prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=lrmzT_TcBcjnrAfl-fzuAw&ved=0CHcQsAQ • http://resources.archedu.org/wood_lacturnerytoys.html • http://media1.3mik.com • https://www.facebook.com/VARNAMS • http://www.kavericrafts.com/ • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channapatna • https://www.facebook.com/TheSecretGardenHyderabad • http://www.scribd.com/search?query=channapatna