The Reflection : Craft Documentation by Sharad Yadav

The Reflection 1

The Reflection

Acknowledgement

This project would not have been possible without the help and kind support of various individuals. Every person we met or spoke to helped us in moving a step further towards the betterment of this project. I am extremely thankful to NIFT Bengaluru for providing an opportunity to be a part of this craft cluster project. I would like to thank Mr. Sanjeev C.M (Assistant Professor) and Ms. Dilnaz Banu ( Assistant professor) for guiding us through the process of documenting the craft and helping us finishing the documentation successfully. Also , i would also like to convey my sincere gratitudes to all the artisans for sharing their experiences and work. Last but not the least, we would like to specially thank our parents, friends and family for supporting us.

Preface

Arts and Crafts poresent in our country shows the cultural diversity of our nation. Its draped down in variou colours and form. These crafts and art forms are the evidences of nations heritage. Hence, documenting these craft forms gives a vital information about the different cultures present in our country. The craft documentation connects us to the lives and lifestyle of the artisans who are practising these crafts. Due to the introduction of technology in the market, crafts in the present era is degrading down to a great extent. Thus through this document its an attempt to create awareness in the readers and create a hope for the artisans and craftsmen in india to cotinue the artform and develope it with time.

Certificate

This is to certify that the Craft cluster project titled â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Reflectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a record of work done by the Fashion Communication student Sharad Yadav (BD/14/2603) as a Regular student for the degree of B.Des Fashion Communication during the period of July to november 2016, which represents as independent work and does not form the base for any previous work. PLACE : Bengaluru DATE :

Under the Guidance of,

Mr. Sanjeev CM (AssIstant Professor) Ms. Dilnaz Banu (Assistant Professor) Department Of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology Bengaluru - 560102.

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KARNATAKA

The Map

MAJOR TOY MANUFACTURING AREAS AND UNITS - Maya Organic - Neelasandra - Kalanagar - Cauveri - Masjid Area - Katerpillar

THE CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

LIFE IN CHANNAPATNA

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

WHERE HAPPINESS TAKES ITS SHAPE

22 - 42

KATERPILLAR MAYA ORGANIC NEELASANDRA KALANAGAR MASJID AREA

INTRODUCTION TO RAW MATERIALS

PREPARATION AND STORAGE

THE TOOLS

MANUFACTURING AND SEASONING PROCESS

THE MAGICIANS

62 - 71

THE REARVIEW OF OBSERVATIONS

IntroductioN The Handicraft sector enjoys a special significance in the country’s economy in terms of employment generation as well as earning of foreign exchange through exports. This sector alone employs more than 48.2 lakh persons as per sensus conducted in 1993. In today’s society, people look for what may be environment friendly or moreover child friendly. It is hard to find such items with the same ease as it was once upon a time. Many Small outlets across India are known for creating such items made with the same ease as it was once upon a time. Many small outlets across india are known for creating such items made with the same material as they were over a 100 years ago. One such part of India lies 60 kms away from bangalore. With a population of 64,000 people approximately. Channapatna is known acroos the world for its lacquer and wood based crafts. The craft has been practiced for over two centuries. Channapatna toys are a perticular form of lacquer ware made specially in the town of Channapatna using wood and are coloured with safe vegetable dyes in simple and colourful fonts. Channapatna is also known as Gombegalaooru or the land of toys. Wh en we hear of Channapatna the first thing that come to an individual’s mind would be he wooden toys and the stationary items. But other than toys there is a vast range of other genres of goods, suitable for all age groups. Despite being a small scale industry these toys are the most productive of all industries within Channapatna.

LIFE IN CHANNAPATNA Life is like a wheel, not philosophically and quite literally. A day in the life of a normal man, an artisan, an aged old amma , a housewife in Channapatna is nothing as exciting or breezy or looked upto as a day in the cities. They live to keep their art alive and broadcast it to the world. These are the people who work effortlessly without even bothering of the fruits. Every day in Channapatna is very similar to every other day in Channapatna such that it rotates and comes back to the same point like a wheel . But in this process what goes unnoticed is the progress and the technology gained by the town and the other is going forward and keeping it alive for the future generations to know what a Channapatna toy is. Small, sleepy and dedicated as the town is. The town comes to life gradually by 8 am, with gradual chugging and puffing of many small scale units at areas. An average day of work for the woman in the household still starts with helping out her family in some sort of toymaking process about as early as dawn and then proceeding on to the household chores of cleaning around the place after sending off the family to school or work. We visited the area during the times of the Ramadan and hence found the that the working hours of the artisan were less and the artisan returned home at about five before the evening Azaan went off, to help the women with the aftaari. A lot of women in the daytime roll beedis out of the local dealers help to give in a helping hand to the householdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income. These women sit out intheir verandahs while they watch their kids playing and wait for their husbands to return and simultaneously neatly fold out beedis off it. The men on the other hand are usually involved in the toymaking industry in Channapatna or some sort of steel industry or silk units that are coming in settlement in and around Channapatna. At times of the peak season, even the woman help the men out in coloring the toys with bright radiant colors. It is amazing how humbled and calm these people are even though they do the same work every and every day, the monotony of work doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t kill the art of Channnapatna as every passing day is the same in terms of experiences but still very new in terms of learning.How passionate are these people and how lucky are these people to be doing what they love to do as a profession.

Where It All Began.... The origin of these toys can be traced to the reign of Tipu Sultan who invited artisans from Persia to train the local artisans in the making of wooden toys in 18th century. As historic records suggest, this area was under the Chola empire and later on the Hoysalas. Bavas Miyan is regarded as the father of Channapatna toy. He adopted Japanese technology for toys making and help the local artisans improve their art. For nearly two centuries, ivory-wood was the main wood used in the making of these toys, though rosewood and sandalwood were also occasionally used. 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 productivity was low. 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 the influence of market forces from abroad, the nature of employment, the demands on artisans and the character of the artisans has changed dramatically.

As early as 1892, hereditary artists called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chitragarsâ&#x20AC;? were engaged in wood-turnery which is the basis of lac ware artistry. Bavasmia, a local artist, is known as the originator of the craft in Channapatna and nearby areas. He went to study lac ware in the north western state of Punjab. After a period of experimentation, he introduced study of the craft at the Industrial School in Channapatna. 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 convinced Muslims and scheduled caste members to join the course; even today, the majority of Channapatna craftspeople belong to these communities.

The lacquering art of Channapatna is known for its mix of vegetable dye and food grade pigments, with natural residue obtained from the trees of Amaltaas and Kusum in West Bengal and Orissa. The popularity of these lac ware toys have been grown over the years. With the introduction of modern technology to this traditional craft, there have been few changes that took place over few generations of artisans, but the design, skill and technique is still inspired from the traditional practices that was followed decades ago.

Historical Significance Channapatna toys have had a mojor historic significance, the techniques are as old as the era of Tipu Sultan. As historic records suggest , this area was initially under the Chola Empire and further on under the hoysalas. However the creation of wooden toys dates back to the era of Tipu Sultan. He was apparently in awe of these wooden toys and would bring artists from persia to tech the craftsmen about this form of craft. Not only in Channapatna but also throughout other such districts, tipu sultan tried to spread the skill of craft making of wooden toys. Even though these toys have been there for a long time , there has not been much of a change in terms of material and technique. The wooden toys of Channapatna account for their traditional specialty and is well known not only in India but also across the globe. The Government of Karnataka has given the status of Geographical Indication (GI) for this traditional craft of wooden toys under the World Trade Organization. The best feature of the Channapatna wooden toys which makes them stand apart from other innovative toys are that they are eco- friendly and is mainly made of non toxic vegetable color dyes. The toys are ideal for children because they are not hazardous in any way for they are very simple, vibrantly colored, safe and attractive. .

WHERE HAPPINESS

TAKES ITS SHAPES

Katerpillar Katerpillar industries and works is one of the larger companies to deal with toy making in Channapatna, Known for its innovative design and new toys discovered in the past few years. Katerpillar industries is established by Mr. B Venkatesh , who inherited the skill and craft of toymaking from his father and set up his own factory called ‘Sri Beereshwara Arts And Crafts’. Katerpillar represents the joy of colourful childhood. The indegenous craft is abot a generation old at Katerpillar and is practised through generations. The unique thing about Katerpillar is the innovative and one kind of designs displayed at the store and the new designs and toys introduced into the market. They have also played in the international market with unique exports and trade sent to foreign countries like USA , UK, and France. They believe in innovating so they make toys on demand as well but they replicate a design only when it spreads. The timings of caterpillar are 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and the factory is closed on sundays. There are approximately 40-50 workers who are working in this workshop. Most of them are local crafts person because they know the art better since they’ve been seeing the use of the craft from their cildhood. Katerpillar pays the workers 200-300 per day depending upon the quantity of product that they make in a day. Women work only in the assembly section and their monthly income is about 4000/-. Katerpillar has 16 artisans and 2 designers.

Katerpillar industries and works is one of the larger companies to deal with toy making in Channapatna, Known for its innovative design and new toys discovered in the past few years. Katerpillar industries is established by Mr. B Venkatesh , who inherited the skill and craft of toymaking from his father and set up his own factory called ‘Sri Beereshwara Arts And Crafts’. Katerpillar represents the joy of colourful childhood. The indegenous craft is abot a generation old at Katerpillar and is practised through generations. The unique thing about Katerpillar is the innovative and one kind of designs displayed at the store and the new designs and toys introduced into the market. At Katerpillar the wood that is cut is properly seasoned and is left for about 6 months to be readied and then chiseled out to make beautiful toys. There are about 15-20 craftsmen at Katerpillar who make the toys and then supply it to their emporium near Kadambam hotel in Channapatna itself. They have also played in the international market with unique exports and trade sent to foreign countries like USA , UK, and France. They believe in innovating so they make toys on demand as well but they replicate a design only when it spreads.

The timings of caterpillar are 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and the factory is closed on sundays. There are approximately 40-50 workers who are working in this workshop. Most of them are local crafts person because they know the art better since they’ve been seeing the use of the craft from their cildhood. Katerpillar pays the workers 200-300 per day depending upon the quantity of product that they make in a day. Women work only in the assembly section and their monthly income is about 4000/-. Katerpillar has 16 artisans and 2 designers.

MAYA ORGANIC Maya organics is an NGO that has been set up in Channapatna for the upliftment of the toy makers. It aims to create wealth and build capabilities of poor informal sector workers and their families. The units of Maya organic manufacture and sell their own products without any kind of middleman in the business. The setup in Maya organics is lot more organized in terms of production, worker facilities, branding and selling of goods. Maya Organics is a livelihood development initiative that helps micro- entrepreneurs build a network of sustainable enterprises that makes impeccable quality products by collaborating and partnering with umbrella structures to manage supply, product development, design and marketing. Maya organics is currently working with the lacware handicraft workers of Channapatna to build a sustainable fair-trade enterprise. It is also marketing over 50 toys for the 0-5 years age group. Maya Organics unlike all other enterprises provides a team of designers to the artisans to design, innovate and create new and latest designs as per the forecasts and hence are able to predict their profits. Maya Organics has become a key partner, ensuring social compliance demanded by international buyers abroad. For instance companies such as GAP, H&M etc. have declared Maya Organic as their main partner through which hand embroidery has to be produced here in South India. Address: 1580, Be hind Aziz Complex Sathnur Road Cross, Channapatna Ramanagar District. 562160

NEELASANDRA Neelasandra is a Hindu dominated area of channapatna that is dedicated to the bead making Industry. Beads are made of teak wood and lac mainly. The uniqueness of the industry and area lies in the fact that it continues using manual lathes. The artisans of neelasandra are involved in the bead making industry. The job of these craftsmen is merely to make beads. It is known for the supply of beads to in and around Channapatna. Most of them go to Mr. Mushtaque at madina chowk from whereon he makes a sale in the market. These artisans makes hundred and hundreds of beads everyday and supply it to companies like Maya organics and Katerpillar or Sabeel Khan Handicrafts where they make products out of it and gain huge machine through which beads are made. Neelasandra is prey to load shedding about 8-9 hours a day which leaves only the hours at right with power . due to the lack of power in the settlement, a lot of people use hand machines to make beads. Neelasandra is a small village with the population of 500- 600 people where almost the whole village has been practicing hand lathe machine is very simple in design compromising of a flat surface with two iron planks kept parallel to each other, but perpendicular to the feet of the artisan. Both planks have a pointed chuck to hold the wood piece and a bow sort of a form known as a Bilkul.When it comes to materials, artisans there were using both teak (tyagut mara) and ivory wood (aale mara) depending on the availability and the price of the wood. For polishing and finishing they use pine leaf known as tadegiri in the language. Amidst the chaos of channapatna toy manufacturing units, walking into the peaceful and vibrant streets of neelasandra is like therapy. The entire area is extremely rural its ways, but is yet more peaceful and organized than the so called more developed counterparts within Channapatna.

KALANAGAR Kalanagar is one interesting place within channapatna which comprises of artisans working in their houses, a small unity where people work together under one roof and an organised working unit Cauveri Emporium. Kalanagar is an area developed by the government aimed to give better working conditions and an improved standard of living to these craftsmen. Layout is well organized for not only houses and toy manufacturing units but also local groceries, general stores and other such commercial spaces. As soon as we see a particular craft, each worker has one machine to himself on which he creates a particular craft. There are some people within the work room who sell toys as well. Kalanagar consists of a school and several shops for basic necessities. The workers either work in the factory or in the work room within or next to their house. The workers get the raw materials from outside and sell the finished product to an emporium nearby. Walking the streets of Kalanagar, one would find small beauty parlours and tailoring shops as well. The entire area has a cement boundary wall and tar streets. The streets are nearly lined with two to three story houses. Government has also provided the craftsmen with factory spaces and machinery as well.

MASJID AREA Masjid Area is a settlement in Channapatna that has existed for past four to five generations. This area is known to be one of the oldest toy making areas of Channapatna. Craftsmen often make toys in the same factories as their forefathers did. The settlement is small and quite chaotic because of narrow roads and absence of cemented houses. With a Masjid close by, the azaan is completely and constantly audible in the streets during dawn and dusk. The setup in most of the factories remain consistent; there is one big rectangular lathe machine in the centre of the room with 3-4 motor lathes on opposite sides. Workers usually sit on the stools and work. In the middle of the table right in front each of the worker are their supplies which they work. The size of the factory is extremely smallwith just enough space to put the giant lathe equipment and a few stools for the workers to sit on while at work. There is no space for any kind of movement inside the factory. The wood residue and other kind of waste is thrown on the ground right next to the workers. Workers do not use any kind of masks, glasses or gloves while working. The main problem in this area is the unpredictable power cuts. Men are toy makers while women are mainly employed in the beedi (tobacco) industry, tailoring or are housewives. The idea of women working as toy makers is completely unheard of in this area.

Introduction to Raw Materials

Introduction to Raw Material Wood: The halemara wood is light in color, slightly towards off white, it is a soft wood. The wood has a fine grain and polishes to a bright finish. The wood doen’t require any chemical treatment before use and naturally resists most ailements. One of the drawbacks of this wood is that big objects cannot be made out of the wood as it cracks easily when used,for it is soft in nature. The powder gathered during production is further used to make incense sticks.

Lac: Lac is a natural resin secreted by an insect known as the ‘Lac Beetle’ or the ‘Laccifer Lacca’. Only the female bug produces lac and it takes 10,000 bugs to make 500gms of Lac. It is obtained in flake form as it has to be scraped off from the trees. When heated it melts at a low temperature and hence is mouldable which is further combined together to obtain the desired form. The secretion which forms thin crust on the bark of the tree is scraped off and processed to obtain lac. Lac is nontoxic. The highest quality lac is referred to as ‘Button Lac’. It is light and golden coloured and can cost much. Second is a medium quality brown lac is seen in dark black shade.

Leaves:

Wood Storing:

The leaf of screw pine like any other palm tree has a bunch of long thick leaves and grows densely in branches, these leaves are used to spread the lac evenly with the presence of friction generated during turning, and it also helps in giving a glossy finish to the product.The screw pine leaves donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any kind of inspection. They just need to be dried off completely before they can be used. Dried off leaves have a brown color with hardly any trace of green.

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 smell 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.

Preparation and Storage

Wood Preparation When wood comes freshly cut from the mills, it has high water content which is not suitable to make the product. Thus the water content has to be fried out. As wood has the tendency to absorb water the wood has to be dried out initially before it can be used. 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.

Air-Drying Air-Drying is the process where the timber is dried by exposing it to the air. The technique of air-dying consists mainly of making a stack of the wood on raised foundations, in a clean, cool, dry and shady place. The duration of drying largely depends on climatic conditions, and on the air movement {expose 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 nay substance that is relatively impermeable to moisture can control the rate of loss of moisture: ordinary mineral oil is usually quite effective.

Kiln Seasoning Kiln Seasoning or artificial seasoning of timber is another process of wood seasoning. Here the wood is fired to dry up its water content. For this method of seasoning the wood is stacked up in solid manner with the fire at the ends. The process of kiln drying basically consists of introducing heat. Kiln drying provides a means of overcoming the limitations imposed byerratic 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 top of the wood which is Carbon deposits. The top layer is then scraped off to attain the desired look.

Wood Storing The wood is generally 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 can develop odour. When the wood absorbs water, it swells 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

Tools The wood turning lathe forms the backbone in the making of the product. A wood turning lathe rotates a piece of wood mounted between two fixed points. The rotating wood is then shaped by tools held against the rotating wood and is then given the final finishes with sand paper.

The Bow Lathe

Motor 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 back and forth. When the strap lathe requires two people to work it, the bow lathe requires only one. The drawback about this lathe is that the power that can be generated is less and the crafting can be done only with one hand. In some cases the artisan uses his foot to help steady the tool. Due to these difficulties, it is hard for the artisans to work efficiently. Neelasandra is one place the artisans work on bow lathes. The artisans work on this using not just their hands to craft but also their feet to hold the lathe. One hand was used to make the lathe rotate with the help of bow and the other hand was used to shape the beads and one foot was used to hold the tool in place and to form support as they craft the beads. Kiln drying provides a means of overcoming the limitations imposed by erratic weather conditions.

During the Industrial Revolution, wood lathes started becoming mechanized. Turning power was produced by water wheels or steam engines and was transferred to the lathe using line shafts. This advance technology allowed much faster and simpler carving. Beginning at the end of 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. One end of the lathe keeps rotating. One end of the lathe has the place to fit the wood and on the other end has a fan made out of plastic bottle the directs the dust away from their work space. After the motor lathes, more advance lathes were introduced. These lathes did not need any man power. These technically advanced machines can produce around 400-500 products in an hour or two. The production rate is very high in these machines and can perform complicated designs in no time.

Cutting and Filling Purpose The raw wood procured from the local market is allowed to dry and is then cut into logs with the help of jig-saw machines or rip saws. These cylindrical wood pieces are again cut according to the sizes required for the particular product and then fixed on the lathe with the help of a hammer. After the wood has been fixed on the lathe, there is series of tools used for shaping the wood running on the lathe are called Ulli in the local language upper surface of the wood that is the clipping or peeping of the bark, or removing the mud is called Upbrulli. Mould compass is a round compass, used for holding the wood pieces. Another tool for the same purpose is a round compass, used for cutting the wood-log is called Katnaulli Chirana, is a tool used for finishing the inside portion of rings, bangles, hollow, pencil stand, etc. Another tool that can be used for this process is an inset. After the desired shape or form is achieved by the artisans he uses a sand paper to file and smoothen the surface so that the lac can be applied easily and smoothly.

The Tools

Channapatna still uses traditional machinery and tools in terms of production equipments. 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. This belt enables the continuous rotation of lathe.The artisans are trained to work on the respective machines to frame and make the product. The machines work on high power and voltage and are extremely dangerous if gone wrong. A mechanized Jigsaw machine is used to cut the wood into desired shapes from wooden logs.The piece of wood is measured with a Verniers callipers and then the sheared wood piece is fit into the masthead for the surface to be manipulated further.The artisans use various measuring equipments such as a compass, angles, planes and a wide variety of other such instruments.

- a carving knife: a specialized knife used to prepare, cut, and smooth wood. - a gouge: a tool with a curved cutting edge used in a variety of forms and sizes for carving hollows, rounds and sweeping curves. - a coping saw, a small saw that is used to cut off chunks of wood at once. - a chisel, large and small, whose straight cutting edge is used for lines and cleaning up flat surfaces. - a V-tool used for parting, and in certain classes of flat work for emphasizing lines. - a veiner: a specialized deep gouge with a U shaped cutting edge. - A sharpening equipment, such as various stones and a strop, necessary for maintaining edges.

Apart from the mechanized or hand machines they use a number of other tools to manipulate the surface of the toys, such as a drilling machine is used to drill holes in certain toys, a chisel is used to develop grooves and create curves on the surface, the vegetable dyes are used to impart eye catching and bright colours to the toys to make them attractive for the buyers and visitors who visit the village.

Also, there is a wide range of filers of different shapes and sizes used to further manipulate the surface by creating other innovative designs on the toys. They make it a point to spread colour uniformly on the toy so that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look unfinished. When the toy is rotating on the lathe , the dye-lac mixture is put on it and made even with the help of a cloth or a sand paper to make the toy look like a finished piece.

Coloring is done using vegetable dyes mixed with lac that is imported from West Bengal or Bihar while the wooden block is still rotating on the lathe. The colours are made with natural vegetable dyes like indigo for blue, turmeric for yellow, katakata for brown and annatto seeds for red.The lacquer is made from the resin of the tree called Rhus Verniciflua, which produces a very hard and durable finish and is resistant to water, acid, alkali.Friction between the work piece and lac sticks on the lathe melts the color smoothly over the work piece.

MANUFACTURING AND SEASONING PROCESS

Seasoning The Ivory wood which is used to make these dolls are light in weight are cut into planks, then finely grained, so that it is easy to work with. It is easy to cut, process and finish as the artisans can find the wood in abundance as the tree is widely present in the geographical area. Important feature of this toys are they have smooth finish and non-toxic vegetable colors are only used. In this way they are better than chinese toys which use silicon and toxic colors. The methods they follow to prune,season, and color the wood are unique to craftsman of Chanapatna and it depends on their skill and experience. In the past most artisans in Chanapatna used to make traditional Dasara toys. But as the prices of raw materials have gone up especially of lacquer and it is very difficult to make profit therefore most artisans have given up the traditional profession. 58

The wood is accquired from the agricultural lands by local distributors. Artisans do not face the problem of shortage of wood as there are abundant number of trees abundance in that geographical region. They cut it to the required size, they cut it varying from 3 to 4 inch, and we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go beyond 3.5 inch, as there is a lot of rejection, and now itself its 4045% from the procured raw material i.e wood, so almost 50% of the wood they obtain is wasted. After this the wood is cut and put to season, seasoning happens easily if the cross section of the wood is small and larger cross sections like 3-3.5â&#x20AC;? takes 6-8 months to season and you can take it for production only if the wood is completely seasoned and if it is not seasoned properly it might shrink or expand and there can be formation of fungus and if none of this happens then there is a chance of the wood to break while working on the lathe. 59

Manufacturing Process The basic steps followed in making :

The mallet is used to beat the work piece to the desired form.

The piece is then cut in various parts using the mechanised saw machine.

The work piece is turned on the lathe machine using tools to curve the surface.

Cuts and incisions are made on the surface using chisels.

Sandpaper is used to smoothen and file the surface for a sleek finish.

This tool is used to measure the work piece with reference to the technical drawing of the design.

The surface is smoothened for the process of colouring.

The coloured lac sticks are used to impart the colours to the work piece.

Different vegetable dyes are used manufacture various coloured lac sticks.

The heat produced by friction melts the coloured lac stick on the surface.

The Magicians

Aaltaf PASHA During our study in the city of toys, Channapatana, we met this one exception with great thoughts, Aaltaf , a young 26 years old toy maker in Masjid Street area. He does not belong to a family which is involved in toy making but he is highly skilled in whatever he does. He has been working since 9 years in a small workplace which is run by a single person . Currently he has two other workers working with him everyday , from morning 10 am to evening 9 pm. They get all their orders from Khan Handicrafts which is owned by Riyaz Ahmed Khan. Aaltaf has been working very hard for the past seven years to get his artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s identity card from the government of India. This young craftsman is also looking for an opportunity to go and visit and put up stalls in various national and international level exhibitions. He wants to put up all his merchandise that he would create. Also he desperately wants to go to Dilli Haat (Delhi) and put up a stall there also. His tentacles of toys spread to mathematical protractor sets to ring games for the toddlers and shape fitters to learn. Their designs depend completely upon the orders they receive. Aaltaf is very passionate about his dream and manages to take out some time after his tiring work to make some of his own extra toys.

Krishnappa Venkatesh Krishnappa Venkatesh, 62yrs old is a local craftsman of Channapatna with a work experience of 40 years. His family includes his wife who is a housewife and five sons who are working in different sectors. Apart from this fine craftsman, nobody in his family works fro this craft or is interested .He was born into a normal family where his father worked in the fields and mother a homemaker. But as he grew he developed interest in this craft and learnt the fine craft from his uncle(chachu) who was probably the only person who practiced the craft then in his family. While most craftsmen could not complete schooling, he somehow managed till first year of his college .Krishnappa has been working in Katerpillar now for more than 24 years and is one of the oldest and the master artisan of Katerpillar and makes around 40-45 dolls per day. He works for a monthly salary rather than being paid for the number of toys made unlike the story of most local artisans.

Manjula On our revisit to Neelasandra, known for their wooden bead works, we happened to come across a lady working religiously on her â&#x20AC;&#x153;bilkolâ&#x20AC;? in a small verandah attached to her house. She was one of the lot who works solely on the teak wooden beads. The entire wood for the making of these beads are sourced from the Muslim community of Channapatna at an average rate of Rs.20 per kg. Although language stood as a barrier between us, she was keen to open up and share her experiences and knowledge. She is married to Chick Raju who is a craftsman in the same field. Pavithra is her elder daughter who is currently doing her higher primary education and Punith Raj is her younger son in his 5th standard. Manjula works all day long on her Bilkol and makes around 200 beads a day for which she earns around Rs 100 per day. With great disappointment she says that she finds it hard to manage her home and the crafting at one go but she does not have an other choice as the income her husband alone earns is too low and it is important that she also works in order to make both ends meet. For this she, just like other women in this village is looking forward for some assistance from the government. Also she claims to have no health problems because of her work but the only problem she had was the same one which almost every other artisans had, problem of not getting what their hard work actually deserves.

Samiullah Pasha Downroad Masjid Gali , we find this man working with constantdexterity on his machine, undeterred by the camera, undeterred by the noise, undeterred by everything and all he knows is that one toy that he is chiseling out finely off the masthead fixed in the machine. Samiullah has been working for a small time unit chiseling toys since fifteen years now. He is a polite man who lets us inside his factory and asks us how this would help him . He started this work at an early age. He never wanted to do this, he wanted to become a professional but since there was no other option left , he taught humself this art merely by seeing others . He works nine hours a day or even more to gather a good sum , he faces no problem now howsoever but with the increase inthe prices of wood, lac and dyes , there may be a problem in the near future . Apart from working on the machine , he also works at home to add to his income. He says that in times of Dussehra when the season is at its peak , he earns even about fourteen fifteen thousand a month. The story of a man who lives and works because Allah has made him to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Samiullah Pasha is somewhere like all those artisans who hide their voices in the machines. The only silver lining however is that he earns a decent amount comparatively for the skill he has.

THE REARVIEW OF

OBSERVATIONS Channapatna is one of those places in India that preserves the already tarnished Indian heritage and art of the remote years. It is a legacy that deserves to be carried on further and hence we must do something for this. The government of India should come up with enoughc schemes for the upliftment of this town and also do something to preserve this dying at and reinstore the faith of the artisans whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve dedicated their lives to this art. These wooden toys have the potential to be a major product for the economic boom in this country. We need schemes that ban Chinese products that are ambushing the market for authentic handcrafted wooden Channapatna toys. Also, Channapatna, Being close to big cities like Bangalore and Mysore, it has an immediate huge market to consume this highly valued art and witha little effort we can not only rejuvenate this dying art but also create a new image and a little nostalgia in the minds of the people. After all , at some or the other point of the childhood, everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tottled with a Channapatna toy. The craft is based on eco friendly vegetable dyes and product bases and pigments and the classic mechanism has now been augmented with the modern machinery that provides more credibility to the products for the market. Channapatna has a lot to offer. A lot. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re just not aware of it.