In Kannada, the place is known as Gombegala nagara which means “town of toys”. The Channapatna town is in the Ramanagara District in Karnataka. The town attracts ample attraction with the exquisite toys made by the small-scale industries in the town. On the way to Mysore from Bangalore city, the town of Channapatana is a sure attraction.

Channapatana was known as Chandapura in the earlier times.

History of Channapatana

The history of the toys of Channapatana can be traced back to the time of Tipu Sultan. Tipu Sultan had encouraged the Persians to come down to India to teach the artisans the art of making wooden toys. The Father of Channapatana toy is Bavas Miyan, known for his commitment to life to help the local artisans with the art of toy making and bringing in new technologies to improvise the toys in Channapatana.

Channapatana Toys – The art of Making

Channapatna town is popular for the cute and the impeccable craftsmanship depicted in these toys. The toys are made with wood mainly ivory wood giving a polished look to the wooden toys adding colors and another beautification. On the streets of the Channapatana, one can witness the numerous wooden toys displayed all along the road side shops. Big banners are hoisted showcasing the talent of the town.

The classy and the creativity are on the high end in these small-scale industries. The skilled artisans work in their small spaces and build these elegant toys. Channapatna toys are made of wood and vegetable dyes and are safe to be used unlike the toys available in the market.

The woodwork is colored using vegetable dyes and the wood used is the Dhoodi Wood (Milkwood) which is precisely white in color and easy to carve out the shapes. For the glazing of the toys, the polishing is done with high abrasive property grass. Hence the toys are completely environment-friendly.