Many a home in India comes to life with toys from Kondapalli, a village near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. The traditional wooden toys not only entertain children, but also reflect local culture and mythology.
The featherweight toys are carved out of soft white wood, locally known as Tella Poniki. The wood is cut into pieces and heated to make it totally moisture-free. The different parts of the toy are made separately and then glued together. The toys are then coated with white lime and left to dry for a couple of days. Finally, they are painted in watercolours or oil paints. The fine details are added with soft and thin paintbrushes made of goat hair.
The Kondapalli toys are made by families who are said to have originally migrated from Rajasthan. The craft has passed down through the generations. The men make the toys while the women and children paint them.
The toys depict fascinating scenes from rural life, palanquin-bearers, swinging dolls, musicians, farmer couples, bullock carts, Ambari elephants, animals, deities etc. Owning a Kondapalli toy is like holding a slice of Indian culture. The art form was granted a GI (Geographical Index) tag in 2007.