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Tryst with Toys

India's vibrant culture extends to children’s playthings, with homegrown toys being some of the most sustainable items in the market

Many of the world’s most popular toys have their own version in the Indian subconti- nent. Toys have existed in India since the Indus Valley Civilisa- tion. Many toys were not only just for children’s entertainment but rather to also engage and develop their mind and/or them getting to know what they would be doing later in life. Traditional Indian toys and games are simple and environmentally friendly.

PALLANKUZHI

India is one of the places mancala’s origins can be traced. This is a traditional ancient mancala game played in South India espe- cially Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is said to be around 2,700 years old and is traditionally played with tamarind seeds or cowry shells as counters. It is played on a rectangular board with two rows and seven columns of 14 cups or kuzhi in Tamil and 146 counters. The winner is the one who captures all the shells.

DUG DUGI

Rattles are a staple baby toy throughout the world so it’s no surprise that India has a version of its own. This rattle is called the dug dugi and keeps children occupied with its short and hollow sound. They are made with wood and leather and some with paper too. Paper is softened in water and used to form the core, which is then covered with paper and colour. Strings, with mud balls or stones at the end, are attached to either side. The core is sometimes attached to a stick, which when rotated in the palms of your hands, causes the mud balls or stones to hit the core and produce the sound.

LATTU

This is one of the oldest South Asian toys. The Lattu spins rapidly with the aid of a string rope coiled around its axis which when pulled quickly, sets it in motion. ‘Haath Jali’ is a unique way of playing with Lattu where the spinning top is taken on the palm. While it is called Lattu in Hindi or Urdu, its other names include Bambaram (Tamil Nadu), Pambaram (Kerala) and Bongaralu Aata (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).

BHATUKALI

These are cute miniature versions of kitchen sets, consisting of utensils and other household items made of copper and brass are scaled-down. Traditionally this was devised to help young girls learn home management through imitating their mothers. These are a sustainable toy as it is completely plastic-free. These pretend play miniatures are handcrafted by highly skilled artisans. Only a handful of artisans remain with the know-how of crafting these traditional toywares. Though Bhatukali existed in some form across the country, it was more predominant in Maharashtra.

COIR TOYS

A simple material such as coconut fibre is transformed into beautiful toys with the skilful hands of Odisha craftsmen. Coir products are 100 per cent natural and extremely eco-friendly. This craft is unique to Orissa and is not present in any other coconut-rich Indian states. Items are created by tying and folding the fibres together. The figures are made in parts and then assembled. Toys are usually made in the shape of animals and features are added with coloured wool, stitched into the fibre. Sometimes the fibre itself is coloured to create a vibrant toy.

KONDAPILLI

These are made of wood in Kondapalli of the Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh. The art is around 400 years old. Kondapilli toys are arguably the most famous wooden toys, which stand apart due to the light, soft wood they are crafted from. Sawdust and tamarind seed powder paste glue the individually crafted pieces together, which are then coloured with different-based paints. They depict people in a realistic style with meticu- lous attention to detail. Local craftsmen specialise in scenes of everyday rural life such as a woman milking a cow or cooking or drawing water from a well; a man climbing a palm tree or driving a bullock cart etc.

THANJAVUR DOLLS

We have all seen bobblehead toys across the world. The Thanjavur or Tanjore doll with detailed, painted exteriors is a type of traditional Indian bobblehead made using several materials including papier mache, plaster of Paris, terracotta or very light wood. The history of this doll goes back to the 19th century. In Tamil, these are called ‘Thalayatti Bommai’ which directly translates to ‘head- shaking doll’. They are handcrafted by artisans whose ancestors have passed down this ancient crafting method through generations and who have mastered the fine art of balance in these dolls. The centre of gravity and total weight of these dolls is concentrated at the bottom-most point, generating a dance-like continuous movement.