When it comes to “Kondapalli Wooden Toys of Andhra Pradesh: Handcrafted Joy Reflecting South Indian Stories”, these toys are the delight of every child as they cheerfully wait, with the most joyous smiles, for the parents to buy them their favourite Kondapalli Bhommalu. Although these toys are light in weight, they have the most vivid, enthusiastic and playful expressions. The best thing about them is that they are examples of South Indian folklore, which is very popular among the children of South India and they love these toys.
Origin
The historical roots of Kondapalli toys are extremely deep because people believe that these toys have been made since approximately four centuries and there is a layering of local myth that follows this statement. The artisans who make these toys have a specific name and that is Nakarshalu. In fact, when it comes to “Kondapalli Wooden Toys of Andhra Pradesh: Handcrafted Joy Reflecting South Indian Stories”, these people are known to be the descendants of the Mukta Rishi who was blessed by the God of Destruction or God Shiva to have the best craftsmanship skills. Needless to say, these artisans are extremely devoted to their craft.
Certain people also hold the belief that these people came to Kondapalli from Jaipur many years ago during the sixteenth centuries and since they had observed the puppet shows and the craft practices of Rajasthan, they easily combined it with the available elements of the south and the local materials as well as the folk tales of the state and made it seem attractive. It was so loved that the rulers and kings promoted it which helped it evolve, over the years.
How the Toys are Crafted
When it comes to “Kondapalli Wooden Toys of Andhra Pradesh: Handcrafted Joy Reflecting South Indian Stories”, the primary material that they are made of is wood which is also called the Tella Poniki. This can be extracted with ease from the hills and the loveliest thing about it is that it is easy to carve. It is light in nature yet it is so durable that it may last for years. After the artisans have seasoned the wood properly, they cut and dry it because they cannot work on it if it has moisture. Other than that, they firstly carve out all the separate parts of the toy like the head, the area of the bust and the feet. They do it with the use of chisels and knives. After that, they seamlessly join all the components and make the most perfect toys. They join it with makku that is a local adhesive pasta made from tamarind powder. The joining should look perfect which is why they make the joins appear smooth.
They patiently fill out the surfaces with paste and apply a lime coating to make everything look smooth. They want to make the toys dry properly which is why they put it close to firewood so that the wood becomes extremely stable and there is no chance of it getting warped.
Final Touches
Then they begin the process of painting it. They extensively use vegetable dyes or water colors or oil paints to make the toys. They always have a bright look and the artisans make sure to use protective coating to create the best surfaces. After all the hard work, the toys finally become ready. They tell a variety of stories like the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu. They depict how Sita was kidnapped from the demon Ravana. They often showcase very interesting mythological facts.
Author
Shreeja Mukherjee