CHANNAPATNA, a small town in the outskirts of BANGALORE is popular for its wooden toys and Lac-ware. Beacause of this popularity Channapatna is also know as GOMBEGALA OORU (TOY-TOWN) of Karnataka.
Origin Credit of these Channapatna toys is given to 18th century ruler Tipu Sultan who invited artisans from Persia to train the local artisans in making these wooden toys.
Varnam Craft Collective:
In recent times. this craft has been dying a slow death. It was in this context, Varnam Craft Collective started its work over two years ago. The attempt has been to reorient this craft to the modern context by ensuring that each design has a utilitarian value and an aesthetic that is current.
Varnam Craft Collective, started by Karthik Vaidyanathan from Chettinad – is a social enterprise working with artisans in Channapatna since 2012. The result is a series of designs interpreting this 200 year old toy-making craft in the home & lifestyle space that includes Toys, Kitchen, Dining & Bar accessories , Kids Toys and Jewellery.
In an industry where more than 90% of the artisans are men, many of Varnam’s creations have been deftly hand-crafted by women artisans. Varnam Craft Collective have been providing sustainable livelihoods on a consistent basis to artisan groups in Channapatna and also other craft clusters within India.
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