Poniki, the wood used to make Kondapalli and Etikoppaka toys, will soon be cultivated in forest areas across NTR district. The forest department plans to start a dedicated nursery to graft the ...

VIJAYAWADA: Tella Poniki, which is known as the white sander in English, is the lifeblood of 'Kondapalli' toymakers. ‘Jiuotia Rotteri Fromis’ is the botanical name of the soft wood.

Known as Nakkash artisans, they specialise in crafting toys from the lightweight Tella Poniki wood, sourced from the forests ...

Kondapalli toys are chiseled out with the Tella Poniki wood and painted with glossy colours to give them an aesthetic look. A few years ago, huge quantities of the wood was available in the ...

Adding to their troubles is the scarcity of the ‘Tella Poniki’ wood, which gives the toys its unique character. No other wood can be a replacement to make these toys as Tella Poniki is ...

These toys are made of white Poniki wood. Of late the sale of Kondapalli toys has been doing brisk business in the national and the international market. The long period of time taken to grow a ...

Light-weight ties made from Poniki wood, a special wood available at Kondapally in Krishna district, were a special attraction at the exhibition. “Those from lower-income groups can have gold ...

The Nakashi community is also facing challenges such as a shortage of Poniki wood, and low interest among younger generations to learn and continue the Nakashi tradition as a livelihood.

“I was trained by my father; my father learnt it from his father,” Anand said. The lightweight poniki wood for the Kinnal toys comes from the nearby Gangavathi area. The wood is first soaked ...

Their tradition depends on the Tella Poniki, a rare tree that only survives around the nearby city of Vijayawada. The disappearing forests mean the carvers must look further afield for supplies of the ...

These handcrafted toys, made from Tella Poniki wood, depict animals, mythology, and rural life. Despite challenges, artisans continue this legacy, relying on government support and exhibitions to ...