Article 29
Heritage & Tradition
Toys Through the Ages: The Beautiful Materials That Made Indian Childhood
Before plastic, before batteries, before screens โ Indian children played with toys made from the most extraordinary materials. Silver rattles that tinkled at birth. Clay horses painted in vivid colours for Diwali. Wooden elephants carved by master craftsmen in Karnataka. Brass spinning tops that whirred for minutes. Each material tells a story of India's craftsmanship, culture, and the timeless joy of childhood. This is that story.
๐ฅ Silver Toys โ The Royal Birth Gift
For centuries, the birth of a child in an Indian family โ particularly in affluent Hindu and Jain households โ was celebrated with the gift of silver toys. A silver rattle (called jhunjhuna in Hindi) was perhaps the most iconic โ its soft tinkling sound believed to be auspicious and its cool metallic touch soothing to a teething infant. Silver anklets with tiny bells, miniature silver elephants and horses, silver feeding spoons shaped like animals โ these were not merely toys but cherished heirlooms passed down through generations.
The tradition of silver baby gifts remains alive in India today. Walk into any good jewellery store in Gujarat, Rajasthan, or Tamil Nadu and you will find beautiful silver rattles, spoons, and figurines still crafted in the same traditional patterns. A silver toy given at birth carries the blessings of the family and the artistry of the craftsman โ something no plastic toy can replicate.
๐ชต Wooden Toys โ India's Greatest Craft Tradition
Wooden toys represent perhaps India's richest and most diverse toy-making tradition. Three regional styles stand above all others. Channapatna toys from Karnataka โ made from soft ivory wood (aale mara) and coloured with natural vegetable dyes โ are so distinctive that they earned a Geographical Indication tag. Their smooth, lacquered finish and bold colours have delighted Indian children for over 200 years.
Kondapalli toys from Andhra Pradesh are made from a special soft wood called tella poniki, shaped with extraordinary skill into figures of gods, animals, and village life scenes. Etikoppaka toys, also from Andhra, use lac โ a natural resin โ to create their brilliant colours. Each of these traditions represents a living heritage, with master craftsmen still passing their skills to the next generation.
๐ช Clay & Terracotta Toys โ Born from the Earth
Clay toys are among the oldest in human history โ terracotta animal figurines found at Indus Valley Civilisation sites (3000 BCE) show that Indian children were playing with clay toys over five thousand years ago! The tradition never died. Every Diwali, clay diyas (lamps) are accompanied by clay toys in markets across India โ horses, elephants, peacocks, and figures of gods, all painted in vivid colours.
The Khurja pottery tradition in Uttar Pradesh, Molela clay figures from Rajasthan, and the famous Krishnanagar clay dolls from West Bengal โ each region developed its own distinctive clay toy tradition, reflecting local mythology, animals, and daily life. For millions of Indian children, a clay horse from the Diwali market was their most treasured possession.
โ๏ธ Brass & Copper Toys โ Heavy with History
Brass and copper toys occupied a special place in traditional Indian childhood โ particularly miniature kitchen sets (rasoi sets) given to young girls. Tiny brass vessels โ miniature lotas, thaalis, kadais, and glasses โ allowed children to mimic the domestic world of their mothers. These were not flimsy playthings but solid, beautifully crafted objects that lasted for decades.
Brass spinning tops (lattoo) were another beloved toy โ their weight giving them a satisfying, long-lasting spin that plastic tops could never match. Brass and copper toys from Moradabad, the "Brass City" of India, were exported across the world and remain collectibles today.
๐ฅ Tin & Steel Toys โ The Industrial Age Arrives
The late 19th and early 20th century brought tin toys to India โ brightly lithographed tin cars, buses, aeroplanes, and mechanical toys that wound up with a key and moved across the floor. These were treasures for the children who received them โ sophisticated mechanical marvels that seemed almost magical. The tin toy industry thrived in India through the mid-20th century, with workshops in Mumbai and Delhi producing distinctive designs.
Steel toys followed โ particularly the iconic steel bicycle and the beloved steel kitchen set. For generations of Indian children, a first steel bicycle was a coming-of-age milestone. The simple steel top (lattoo) and steel marbles (kanche) were the currency of childhood friendship โ traded, won, and lost in intense playground competitions.
๐งต Cloth & Rag Dolls โ Sewn with Love
Before manufactured dolls, Indian mothers and grandmothers created cloth dolls from scraps of fabric โ stuffed with cotton, given button eyes, and dressed in miniature versions of traditional clothing. These gudiya (dolls) were made with love and carried profound emotional value. No two were identical โ each was a unique creation reflecting the maker's skill and affection.
The tradition of cloth toys lives on in India's folk art traditions. Pipli appliquรฉ toys from Odisha, Kathputli puppets from Rajasthan, and Varanasi silk dolls represent the highest expression of this tradition โ cloth transformed into art through generations of skill.
๐ชจ Stone & Ivory โ Ancient Royal Toys
Archaeological excavations at Indus Valley sites have uncovered stone and ivory toys โ small carts with wheels, animal figurines, and gaming pieces โ that speak of a sophisticated urban civilisation that valued childhood play. In royal courts, ivory chess pieces (chaturanga โ the ancestor of modern chess) were prized possessions. Stone marbles have been found at sites across ancient India.
Today ivory is rightly banned to protect elephants, but the stone and marble toy tradition lives on in beautiful marble inlay work from Agra and stone animal figures from Rajasthan โ objects that blur the line between toy and art.
๐๏ธ Plastic โ The Revolution That Changed Everything
The arrival of plastic toys in India in the 1960s and 1970s was nothing short of a revolution. Suddenly toys were affordable for every family โ brightly coloured, lightweight, and available in every market across the country. Plastic trucks, dolls, tea sets, and building blocks democratised childhood play in a way that no previous material had achieved.
The trade-off was significant โ plastic toys were less durable, less beautiful, and less environmentally friendly than the materials they replaced. Many traditional craft industries declined as plastic swept through India's toy markets. Yet plastic also brought joy to millions of children who could never have afforded silver, brass, or carved wooden toys.
๐ฟ The Future โ Back to Natural Materials
Today a remarkable revival is underway. Young Indian parents, concerned about plastic toxicity and inspired by sustainable living, are rediscovering natural material toys. Wooden toys are experiencing a renaissance โ Channapatna and Kondapalli craftsmen report growing demand from urban Indian parents and international buyers. Organic cotton stuffed toys, natural rubber teethers, and bamboo toys are finding enthusiastic new audiences.
The silver rattle, the wooden elephant, the clay horse โ these are not museum pieces. They are living traditions, waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation of Indian children. In choosing a natural material toy over a plastic one, every Indian parent connects their child to thousands of years of craftsmanship, culture, and love. That connection โ across time, across materials, across generations โ is perhaps the most precious gift a toy can give. ๐ฅ๐ชต๐ชโ๏ธ๐งต
