The art of working on a piece of soft wood and shaping it into a magical toy is special to Channapatna in the state of Karnataka.

As you drive through Channapatna, you notice the colourful stores lining the highway and soon you realise why the town is called the Toy Town. Almost everyone here is a skilled craftsman or woman working on lathe machines, mixing vegetable dyes with lacquer and then applying it smoothly on the toys.

Even as you watch, a rough piece of shapeless wood turns onto a glossy wellrounded toy, safe for any child to play. The town prides itself in using only vegetable dyes and natural plant lacquer despite the high costs because to them tradition is of supreme importance as is the safety of the child who will play with their toys. And even if you are not of the playing age, these vibrantly coloured animals, dolls, sharpeners, and many more interesting objects can grace your tables and shelves – a testimony of an ancient art which arrived here during the time of Tipu Sultan all the way from Persia and continues to thrive here thanks to the efforts of these dedicated craftsmen.