Wooden toy-making has been a business since generations for many people in Maharashtra's Sawantwadi area, but the craftsmen say they are now facing the challenge of survival of their art form as well as livelihood due to the influx of low-priced Chinese products into the market.
A reference to the Sawantwadi toys by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his radio address 'Mann ki Baat' in September 2020 helped to provide the much-needed attention towards this trade in Sawantwadi district.
But, some of the craftsmen say their challenges are far from over as they are now able to sell only about 10 toys during peak demand days, compared to 25 to 50 units which they used to sell nearly a decade ago.
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While earlier it was a burgeoning cottage industry helping several people make a living out of it, now only six to seven families are continuing this art form, they say.
According to them, the business of making wooden toys, which are quite durable, is now fighting a relentless battle against the low-priced 'Made in China' products, hike in labour and raw material costs and the unavailability of experienced hands to carve them.
The Sawantwadi toys are made from the wood of the Indian Coral tree, which is also called 'Pangara' in Marathi.
They are known for the wooden models of fruits, vegetables and other things. These toys are made so finely that they resemble real fruits and vegetables.
Talking to PTI, toy maker Ganapat Chitari claimed that people from the Chitari community were specially invited from neighbouring Karnataka to Sawantwadi by then king of the area to promote the craft.
“You will find Chitari families in Karnataka and also in Cuncolim village of South Goa district,” he said.
There was a good demand for these wooden toys till some years back as they were part of most of the families in and around the region, he said. “But the sudden import of toys from China has reduced the demand for our toys.
The customers also find the prices of our products high,” he said.
Chitari said each shop in the area sold at least 25 to 50 toys every day about 10-15 years back and the demand used to rise during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
“Now, the demand is reduced to mere 10 toys during peak days and sometimes there are no customers during the entire day. These wooden toys are very durable and one need not replace them for years,” he said.
Manjunath Gudigar, one of the representatives of this craftsmanship, said earlier the raw material prices were less as hence, the toys also used to cost less. But, now the wood prices are high and, therefore, the toys cost more and their sales are going down, he said, while also citing lack of skilled manpower promote this craft.
There was attention to the craft after PM Modi's reference to these toys, he said. "But, we want proper government support to preserve this age-old tradition,” said 39-year-old Gudigar, who runs a toy workshop at Colgao village on the outskirts of Sawantwadi.
His mother Shalini is the main helping hand in his business. She manages his shop in the Sawantwadi market near Moti Talao. “We are able to run this business because we have our own shop in the market, otherwise it is impossible to fetch the price if middlemen are involved in it," Gudigar said.
His mother said her life was centered around the art of wooden toy-making. “I was born in a family of wooden toy makers and got married to a person from the same profession,” she said smilingly.