(The Handicrafts of Kondapalli)

        For decades Kondapalli bommalu adorned many a home of Telugu people. These brightly colored pieces of art bring radiance to any home. Unfortunately, not many Indians outside Andhra Pradesh and some of the Andhra people know much about these lovely handicrafts. The intention of this section is to introduce the Kondapalli handicrafts to the best of our knowledge.

        Kondapalli bommalu are made of a very light variety of wood. Once upon a time they were probably used as toys. But now with the frozen culture reflecting in them, they are used as embellishment in homes. They depict a rich rustic culture in vibrant color and facial expression. We can see bommalu like "Village Set" (a set of 50 pieces each representing a métier in the village), "Ale Making" and "Haridasu" portraying Telugu rural life. There are famous mythological bommalu such as "Bhagavad Gita" and "Dasavataralu". There are many other popular bommalu, of which probably the most popular one is "Enugu Ambari" (King on the Elephant).

        Kondapalli bommalu, as it can be easily perceived, are made in a small village called Kondapalli, about 20 kilometers from Vijayawada. There are about 40 families that make their living by making these toys (Yes, each toy we see is hand-made by one of the members of the family). The number used to be 100 or more in earlier days but as the production costs for the toys increased and the income was becoming meager, more and more families are leaving their family business of toy making and moving to the city to find jobs. Even though the retail prices of the toys are sometimes lofty, we were saddened to learn that a very slim share reaches these hardworking families.

        If people realize how much effort goes in making each bomma and feel compassion for the families behind it, the purpose of this section is served.

The making of Kondapalli Bommalu
Some sample Bommalu