Etikoppaka Catch Ball

1.  These traditional toys are made by artisans in Etikoppaka village located on banks of river Varaha in Visakhapatnam district of the state. 

      In a world polluted by plastic toys, the non-toxic vegetable dyes of the Etikoppka offers an alternative.

     Using a soft wood, these products are then fashioned to perfection with objectives varying from beads and earning to candle stands and vermillion boxes.

     One of the biggest advantages and unique things about Etikoppaka toys was that they were well rounded and made using natural dye colours. This makes them safe for kids.

The process of making these wooden handicrafts is known as ‘Turned Wood Lacquer Craft’ or ‘Tharini’. The toys are made of soft wood and lacquer colour. Coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer, bark, roots and leaves, they are chemical free and sustainable.

The artists use a colourless resinous secretion of several insects, known as lac. The lac is mixed with dyes during the oxidation process.
This lac dye is used in decorating the toys. Famous not only in India but around the world, these toys make for great decorative pieces and memorabilia.