Kinhal Craft

Kinhal Craft, or Kinnal Craft, is a traditional craft local to the town of Kinhal, or Kinnal, in Koppal District, North Karnataka, India. [cite web |url=http://www.glasgowkinnalcraft.org/html/kc_background.html |title=Kinnal Craft |publisher=Glasgow Kinnal Project |accessdate=2006-04-16 ]

The town is famous for Kinhal Toys. There are approximately 30 craftspersons who practise this craft. Hereditary artisans called "chitragaras" (literally "one who draws or paints") produce a range of products such as murals and wall hangings on Puranic themes, like Dasavataras, Navagrahas, and Ashta-Dikhapalas (guardians of the directions).

History

Kinhal has an immensely rich artistic heritage. It was once a flourishing centre for crafts, the most well-known being exquisite carvings in wood. The famous mural paintings in the Pampapateshwara Temple, and the intricate work on the wooden chariot at Hampi, are said to be the work of the ancestors of the Kinhal artisans of today.fact|date=August 2008 Old paper tracings found in the ancestral house of one of the artisans further substantiates this belief.

In 2007, students from the University of Glasgow took part in a project with local students and craftsmen, in an attempt to revive the Kinhal craft. [cite web |url=http://www.craftscouncilofindia.org/images/newsletterJan2008.pdf |title=Kinhal Toys – Training Project |publisher=Crafts Council of India |accessdate=2008-08-14 |pages=p.24]

Method

The artisans are called "chitragars". Lightweight wood is used for the toys. The paste used for joining the various parts is made of tamarind seeds and pebbles. Jute rags, soaked, slivered into pieces, dried, powdered, and mixed with saw dust and tamarind seed paste is made into "kitta". A mixture of pebble powder paste with liquid gum is used for embossing the ornamentation and jewellery on the body of the figure. Once the components of the figure are assembled, "kitta" is applied by hand all over, and small pieces of cotton are stuck on it with the tamarind paste. Over this is applied the pebble paste which forms the base for the application of paint.

Previously, toys depicting people involved in various occupations were popular; now the preference is for figures, animals, and birds. Garuda, the epic bird, has 12 components while Lord Ganesha on a throne has 22 components. The styling is realistic and the designing and chiselling has a master touch. In the festival season, clay toys and images are made, often out of cowdung and sawdust.

References

External links

* [http://www.glasgowkinnalcraft.org/index.html The Glasgow Kinnal Project]