Traditional Karnataka Channapatna craft sees a revival

These beautiful wooden-lacquer toys and trinkets catch your eye not just because they are colourful but because it’s a traditional Indian craft seeing a revival. Thanks to Bangalore’s Karthik Vaidyanathan, Channapatna craft products catering to the home and lifestyle are now being sold in numerous stores across India.

The wooden-lacquer toys and trinkets are made by craftsmen in Channapatna, a town on Bangalore-Mysore highway in Karnataka. Ask Vaidyanathan how he got interested in the Channaptana craf and he says, “I have always been fascinated by our crafts since childhood visiting fairs regularly and interacting with artisans. A few years ago, I decided to combine my passion for working in the social sector and crafts to keep myself occupied outside of my corporate job. I had volunteered to work with a reputed organisation on the Channapatna craft. However, unfortunately when things did not seem to move much, I decided to work on my own.”

Vaidyanathan then set up Varnam (meaning colourful), a for-profit social enterprise, to work with artisans to promote the craft and to reorient the craft to the modern context and lifestyle. “Varnam is an ode to colourful India. My attempt has been to bring my own aesthetic sensibilities and design philosophy to traditional crafts. The idea is to ensure that each design has a utilitarian value and thereby relevant today. There is a constant dialogue with my artisans on current market trends in terms of finish, utilitarian value, attention to detail, etc.  In doing so, I hope to enhance the sense of pride amongst our master crafts-people for their skill and ensure that these crafts continue to thrive,” he explains.

(Karthik Vaidyanathan)

 In today’s context, making sure toys are eco-friendly is important for parents. And these Channapatna toys are. The wood used in the craft is hale-maraa (wrightia tinctoria) which is primarily a medicinal plant. Some of their products also recycled pine and rubber wood. And the colours used are natural. “In fact, we have also tested our colours and got them certified in accordance with US and European Standards. All the parts of the wood are used in the design. If a certain product is discarded, the wood is reused in another design. Even the residual saw dust from the wood is used in the incense industry,” says Vaidyanathan talking about how they keep the wastage to a minimum. 

Apart from toys, the Channapatna craft has been fashioned fashion accessories, home decor, kitchen items and more. Their lifestyle products too are quite functional and can be used in a day-to-day environment right from keychains, wine bottle corks, wall hooks, kitchen towel holders, salt-n-pepper shaker sets, clothes hangers, etc.

While moving to modern designs, Varnam has also worked in uplifting the lives of these artisans and their families in numerous ways. Loans at low interest rates, providing a regular income and work for artisans’ extended families have been some of their initiatives. They also pay stipends for women who want to learn the craft and many artisans have moved on to start their own units by learning the craft and working at Varnam.

There are many entrepreneurs who are working towards the revival of traditional crafts but Vaidyanathan cautions that only those who are passionate about it should work in the crafts sector. “The artisans and the craft in itself is quite time, effort and capital consuming. Hence, one has to be in it for the long haul if they truly want to make a difference to the craft and the craftspeople,” he says.