Surrounded by Vindhya Forest, Budhni in Madhya Pradesh is known for its colourful lacquer-coated wooden toys. A small Vishwakarma community practices this 100-year-old craft. They skillfully transform soft wood into exquisite objects using a lathe.

Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore, is credited with introducing the Persian art of crafting kitchenware and toys in India. Supported by the Nawab of Sehore, how it made inroads to Budhni is still not well understood. Historians understand that it was developed for utility, which is why toys, cradles, wall hooks, teethers, rolling pins, and tricycles were also made.

Artisans use Dudhi wood sourced from nearby forests, which is easier to carve and colour. Simple chisels and gouges are used to carve shapes on the soft wood, which is seasoned before being cut. Even the colour is applied while it’s still on the lathe. The wax called chapdi is boiled with chandrak, a natural varnishing agent. Multiple coats of this mixture, combined with a dye that transforms into lacquer paste, are brushed onto the wood and allowed to dry. Intricate patterns are carved using a delicate stylus. Afterwards, it is polished with kewda oil for a shiny finish and then trimmed on the lathe.

Due to the scarcity of Dudhi, alternatives like Kerria, Sal, Nilgiri (Eucalyptus) and Babul wood are also used. The manual lathe machine was replaced with diesel-powered system about 60 years ago, and finally to electricity. Harvested lacquer syrup has given way to wax sourced from Gondia in Maharashtra and dyes sourced from Rajasthan.

During their visit to India in June this year (2023), the heads of G-20 nations were gifted lacquered wooden toys of Madhya Pradesh. This helps give the craft global outreach.

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