KONDAPALLI TOYS

Preface:
Kondapalli Toys popularly known as Kondapalli bommalu are
toys made in Kondapalli near Vijayawada, AP, India. The toys are made
by artisans said to have migrated from Rajasthan several generations
ago. This 400-year old tradition has passed on from generation to
generation with every member taking part in the toy-making activity in
Toy Colony of Kondapalli.
The place is known for its brightly coloured wooden toys, mostly
representing village life farmer couples, toddy tappers, village
artisans and palanquin bearers, besides animals. Dasavatarams,
swinging doll and elephant with Ambari are famous Kondapalli toys
How do they make the toys?
The Kondapalli toys are made out of a light wood known locally as
Tella Poniki. Small pieces of the wood undergo a slow heating
treatment to make it totally free of moisture. Every little part of the toy
is then carved out separately. These parts are glued together using an
adhesive made out of crushed tamarind seeds. Once this adhesive
dries up the lime glue adhesive is applied to the toy giving it the white
base colour. Bright water and oil colours are used to paint the toys,
which is delicately done using soft and thin brushes made of goat's
hair. Kondapalli toys depict scenes from everyday human life, deities
from the Hindu pantheon and animal figures.
Problems being faced:
1. The artisans of Kondapalli would make the most business during
these festivals, but these traditions are slowly vanishing and with
them artisans are forced to look at measures to cut costs and
switch to enamel colors instead of natural dyes.
2. Poor quality of soil and lack of government aid have spelt doom
for the doll-makers.
3. Their monthly income has gone up by a meagre 20 per cent.
4. Number of tourists has reduced during the summer holidays
because of various reasons like the weather.

5. Traditional craftsmen want to hold on to the 100-year-old

techniques. Neither do they want to learn new techniques nor do
they have adequate scope for exposure on a global platform.
6. Not many artisans are keen to showcase their work in the city.
7. Travelling to the city is costly. Delay in payment is another
deterrent. Hundreds of dolls are rotting in the warehouses.
What we can do:
1. To help them have the global exposure and know about the
demand.
2. Providing access to national markets and then global markets.
3. Train them according to the latest techniques available, without
them losing their own essence of art-making.
How we can achieve it:
We pitch for any one of the e-commerce companies like flipkart,
amazon or snapdeal for sponsorship.
Reasons for selecting the e-commerce companies is that
1. Most People want something that looks aristocratic, yet do not
want to wait that long.
2. Most people dont want to go to the sellers and bargain and buy
these crafts as the whole process is a tedious task.
3. Most buyers dont know the difference between an original and a
fake doll.
4. If one of these can offer these products, it will be one of the major
differentiating factors from their competitors.
5. This comes under the CSR as they help a group of economically
poor people, the artisans to increase their standard of living.
This will be win-win situation because the amount they spend is less as
they train the people from the revenues generated by selling these
products & with little initial investment. The artisans also get a
reasonable value for their products.
People: The artisans and the craftsmen from the Kondapalli village.

Profits: They get a chance to access the markets and the necessary
exposure to know the latest information. This paves way for a steady
income.
Planet: They use the eco-friendly methods to craft these products. So
this doesnt have any adverse effects on the nature.