Channapatna wood and lac turnery craft is said to be nearly two centuries old. The products from here are painstakingly manufactured by hand using their age-old tradition of lac-turnery. Channapatna craftsmen are referred to as acharya and belong to the community of Chitragars. Traditionally, they made wooden masks, human and animal figures, and painted the temples around Channapatna. The craft flourished in the region due to royal patronage. Gradually, the artisans progressed to working on a simple hand lathe.The process involves the soft wood of hale tree being turned with dexterous use of hands and usage of cutting tools and power lathes to create circular shapes. Then the wooden items are lacquered by means of frictional hear to give them a bright and colourful appearance. They are finally, buffed with leaves of talegari to give a glossy finish. The colours which are non-toxic natural extracts make it eco-friendly.The advent of power lathes has enabled greater output combined with economy in the cost of production and human labour. Today, the dolls are in great demand during festivals like Deepavali and Dasara and most products are exported.
 

Production clusters: Channapatna in Bangalore district


 

Products: Toys, Rattles, Tops

                    Car seat rests

                    Toy cooking sets

                    Bangles and stands

                    Puzzles, Games

                    Beads

 

Tools: Chisels ,Saw, Lathe, Power lathe, Screw pine leaves