Etikoppaka is a small village on the banks of Varaha River in

Anakapalli district Anakapalli district is a district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It was formed on 4 April 2022 from Anakapalli and Narsipatnam revenue divisions of the old Visakhapatnam district. The administrative headquarters are at Anakapalli. Ety ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

. In 2017, the traditional Etikoppaka toys acquired a

geographical indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, ...

(GI) tag.

Etikoppaka toys

In the early development stages of the Etikoppaka toys, they were only used by children as toys for the purpose of playing. The natural dyes and wood used in these toys made them safe play with and durable. However, gradually the Etikoppaka toys adapted to a broad usage. Today, they can be used as toys, decoration items, utility items and even gifting items. For a long period of time, these toys were a part of the everyday lives of the people living here and in the neighbouring villages. Toy varieties include spinning tops, rattles, and animal figures. Etikoppaka boxes are also used for storing jewellery and sacred materials like vermillion. These toys became so popular that several South Indian traditions became attached to them. For example, every girl child was gifted a kitchen set or ‘lakkapidathalu,’ consisting of colourful vessels, ladels, stoves and even grinders for her first birthday. They also became a part of the wedding traditions and were used for the bride's trousseau to carry haldi Kumkum, betel nuts and other aromatic substances. They became so popular that they began to be sold as country fairs, weekly markets, railway stations and even bus stands. Toys are made of soft wood and lacquer color. Coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, roots and leaves. The way of toy making is also known as turned wood lacquer craft. The Etikoppaka toys are considered to be ‘one with the nature’ since they are made purely out of natural elements such as seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves. The wood derived to make these toys comes from the ‘Ankudi Karra’ tree (''

Wrightia tinctoria ''Wrightia tinctoria'', Pala indigo plant or dyer's oleander, is a flowering plant species in the genus ''Wrightia'' found in India, southeast Asia and Australia. It is found in dry and moist regions in its distribution. Various parts of the plan ...

''). The artisans who engage in this craft have received several awards from forum likes the

National Innovation Foundation National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

, UNESCO CCI Seal of Excellence for Handicrafts and so on. Moreover, these toys have also been displayed at various prestigious venues like the Rashtrapathi Bhawan. Various organizations like the

National Institute of Design The National Institutes of Design (NIDs) are a group of autonomous public design universities in India, with the primary institute, founded in 1961, in Ahmedabad, with extension campuses in Gandhinagar and Bengaluru. The other NIDs are loc ...

(NID) have helped these artisans by conducting workshops for them to help them gain understanding of the popular market designs. The Geographical Indication (GI) tag provided to these toys in 2017 has further contributed to their significance. This has allowed the counterfeit market issue to be tackled and for the sale of these toys to increase multi-fold. Due to their excellent quality, brilliant designs and A level craftsmanship, these toys are sold worldwide. Many countries like USA, Australia, France, Italy, and Germany import the Etikoppaka toys from India to sell or to display as decoration pieces in their museums. Varaha river near Etikoppaka

References

{{Anakapalli district Villages in Anakapalli district