Lanco revives Andhra toy craft

The Kondapalli toys have been awarded a geographical indication certificate.

With the advent of high-tech toys, the new generation scarcely knows the charm of traditional toys which used to represent the art and culture of their place of origin. One such art form which till recently was almost at the brink of extinction is the Kondapalli Bommalu (art of making toys).

The famous wooden dancing toys from Kondapalli in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh which used to adorn the hands of children in the state and other places for centuries are now slowly regaining their place in living rooms.

Even corporate houses are finding uses for them , as gifts. This, thanks to an initiative from infrastructure major Lanco.

To promote and protect the traditional art form of 400 years, Lanco through it's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme has launched an initiative called LIGHT (Lanco Institute of General Humanitarian Trust), in place since 2002.

"Lanco developed its first power project near Kondapalli village and during our interaction with the villagers, we observed the plight of these artisans facing various problems like loss of market affecting both the art of making Kondapalli toys and survival of the families itself," Vijay Goswami, Project officer, LIGHT said.

Apart from skill development for the artisans in use of natural dyes, making of utility designs such as pen stand, table clocks, etc artisans were sponsored to exhibit Kondapalli toys in stalls provided at conferences like the World Telugu Federation in Singapore in 2002, Goswami said.

Issue like cracks appearing in the toys and termite-attack was solved with the help of professionals. Professional methods were adopted to make the wood of Tella Poniki tree (used in making these toys) stronger by way of seasoning, Goswami said.

Appreciating the initiative, the Andhra Pradesh Forest Academy helped organise an overall development training programme for artisans dependent on forest for raw material.

Says 48-year-old Udayagiri Surya Prakash, one of the beneficiaries of the project: "The initiative of LIGHT helped at least 75 families of our village, who are dependent on the craft. The artisans here are given training in design development, use of vegetable colours and marketing apart from sponsoring us to some national and international exibitions. Earlier a family hardly used to earn Rs 3,000 per month, now it is around Rs 7,000."

The objectiveof protecting the art form famous for its mythological characters and depiction of rural life in vibrant colours has been realised.

Thanks to the efforts of LIGHT and Confederation of Indian Industry, Andhra Pradesh, Kondapalli Bommalu created only in Kondapalli district of Andhra Pradesh, are now marked with Geographical Indication (GI), a unique recognition given to products native to a specific place on earth.

LIGHT, in association with the state Government is also setting up a common facility centre for the artisans where all orders for the Kondapalli toys would be processed.

Even a Kondapalli Toys Development Forum comprising Kondapalli Toy Artisans Mutually Aided Co-operative, Crafts Council of AP, CII, Andhra Pradesh Handicrafts Development Council, Viswakarma Art Gallery and LIGHT has been constituted to formulate strategies to promote these toys.

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