Wooden toys are made in several parts of India. One interesting style is practiced by the Kharadi community in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. This tradition began in the 17th century, under the patronage of Mughals and then Britishers for work in ivory carving. After ivory was banned in 1986, the Kharadis started wood carving.

Varanasi toys are made from woods like Keria and Eucalyptus for turning wood craft, goolar for idols and figurines, and kaima for carvings on colourless pieces. Wooden toys are made in the shapes of birds, animals, deities, among other items. Being a labour-intensive craft, the wood pieces must first be chopped from logs, heated to dry out moisture and then smoothened. Then, they are shaped on the lathe and sculpted using hand tools. Another stage involves drawing designs onto the wood to carve it. Lastly, the artefact is painted with non-toxic colours and polished using lacquer. The brush the artists use for fine painting is made out of the fur off a squirrel’s tail.

Varanasi’s wooden toys were certified with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2014. 

Earlier, Keria wood was used to make these wooden toys. Since the restrictions on the logging of Keria in 1984, artisans began experimenting with and relying on eucalyptus wood.

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