Traditional Fabric Toy
Traditional Fabric toys of India enfold the cultural heritage of Indian creativity and imagination. In olden days, children played with dice, marbles and stuffed toys, but the mechanical toys mostly influence children of these days and plastic Barbie dolls. A variety of toys are to be found in India from the simplest design to the utmost intricately created toy. Each toy has its own distinctive style, which differs from region to region. Each toy has its own story describing its existence. The earliest toys found in India dates back to five thousand years. Toys are produced in innumerable shapes including, birds, animals, human figures and many more. The traditional toys in India still survive and according to time it keep developing itself. Rural India still has kept alive the traditional dolls of India in which the true spirit of India can be found. Many rural family of India belonging to different regions involved in the making of Traditional toys mostly as display items.
The beauty of a Toy lays in the hands of the craftsmen the charm he created with the form, color and detail adds extra appeal to the Toys. Toys adds beauty to people’s life and are also used as items for decorative purpose. Some toys represents mythological characters and are mostly coloured with dyes made from vegetables. People of each region create toys with the locally available materials found in that region. Toys helps children to learn about the different perceptions of life and culture they belong to. Infants learn to identify object with the help of toys and while adults use toys to play to exercise their mind and body.
Traditional Fabric toy making creates opportunity for employment of the rural people of India. Laxman R Bhat, a locally renowned toy artist of Chandlodia involves in the making of traditional fabric toys. Laxman R Bhat learnt this craft from the people of Jaipur as he was also a resident of Nagaur zilla (Jaipur).Fabric toy making was a crafts which he could easily learn and so he took it as his occupation. At present he stays in Chandlodia, Gujarat with his wife and two children and prepare toys for the people, children and even for marriage functions and puppet shows. He along with his wife creates beautiful fabric toys and earn their living. His address is 12, Satya Narayan Society, Opposite Silverstar Building in Gota Road Chandlodia of Ahmedabad.
