Karthik Vaidyanathan's Varnam, a well-known destination store for Channapatna toys has moved to a bigger and better location in Indira Nagar. Having overcome the challenges, logistical and creative, Karthik is in a better space. "I think my staff has understood that it is a craft experience store and one needs to create that kind of atmosphere," says Karthik. Channapatna is a small town in Karnataka which is known for the traditional craft of lacquered wooden toys.
Young designers like Karthik have given this traditional craft a twist by contemporising it. Varnam's Christmas Story is an apt example of it. Instead of regular Christmas bells, you can hang their little mouse Christmas bells. The Xmas tree has been twisted to make storage jars which can hold little knick knacks. For its new range of in-a-ring tree ornaments, they have brought in characters of Goobe and Kuruvi. The rocking red-nosed Rudolf made of beechwood and wrightia tinctoria is ideal for table top decorations in this festive season. "While the finish is Channapatna, the products are retro-classic made with European sensibilities. Christmas is our strongest season and we have lot of expats as our clients. This year we started to plan for Christmas in March itself."
The prototypes were designed in March and since then 40 artisans, whom Karthik regularly works with, have been at it.
Varnam has also been occupied with reviving traditional designs like keel kudure dolls inspired by the folk dance form known by the same name and Raja-Rani dolls.
In the new store, Karthik has also brought in the educational aspect with a display of tools and different woods used in the making of the craft. The walls are adorned with text giving out information about the craft and photographs of the artisans at work. There is a do-it-yourself corner too where visitors can make their own jewellery with Channapatna beads. It is also trying to restore antique furniture and integrating Channapatna elements into it.
