Etikoppaka
Encyclopedia
Etikoppaka is a small village on the banks of Varaha River in Visakhapatnam district
of Andhra Pradesh
, India
. This village is known for wood toys made with lacquer colors.
, belonging to the Chintalapati family, settled here over 200 years ago under allegiance to the MahaRaja of Vizianagaram
. They have been far in advance of their time. It is through their efforts that India's first co-operative sugar mill came to be located in Etikoppaka in the early 1930s.
Padmanabha Raju in the early 1900s, saw business possibilities in the lacquer products of Etikoppaka. He searched out dyes and processes that would enhance their quality and appeal. Despite these efforts, by the mid-1980s, fewer and fewer craftsmen were available to make the lacquerware because of increasing employment opportunities in the sugar industry.
The downward spiral was reversed by one of Padmanabha Raju's descendants, Chitti Raju. He gathered the few remaining and aging craftsmen together and exposed them to new designs and concepts at national-level craft exhibitions all over the country. However, it was left to Chitti Raju's nephew, C.V. Raju, to reverse the trend and make Etikoppaka a byword for quality handicraft.
He is the contemporary face of Etikoppaka's craft today, who looked at lacquerware in all its dimensions from design to marketing. The Fine Arts Department of Andhra University
, the National Institute of Design
and even the National Institute of Fashion Technology
were involved in the design and development of new designs and products.
Elegant candle-stands for the German
market was followed by specially designed lacquer casings for a unique range of timepieces for Titan. Better packaging saw the transit breakage rate come down and a special tie-up with the Postal Department has ensured safe delivery of the delicate hand-crafted items to far away markets.
As the base of the lacquer product, the softwood trees became scarce, C.V. Raju sought and got the assistance of the State Forest Department to improve plantation yields and also experiment with other wood that could take lacquer just as well.
Over the years, this combination of strategies has paid off handsomely and today, Etikoppaka's lacquer-ware has found good markets not only within India but also overseas, especially in France
, Italy
, Germany and the US.
The growing demand for lacquerware nationally and internationally, has enthused C.V. Raju and his family to set up a well-equipped design centre to train new people in the craft at Etikoppaka itself. A simple but comfortable guest house has been constructed to encourage experts to visit Etikoppaka to advise and train craftsmen locally. C.V. Raju has also continued the tradition set by his uncle, and constantly exposes his craftsmen to new ideas by taking them along to craft exhibitions and workshops across the country.
Visakhapatnam district
Visakhapatnam district , also known as Visakha Zilla, is an administrative division of Andhra Pradesh, India. The administrative headquarters of the Visakhapatnam District is Visakhapatnam.-Post-Independence:...
of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. This village is known for wood toys made with lacquer colors.
History
The traditional landlords of the village, the RajusRajus
The Raju are a Telugu caste inhabiting Andhra Pradesh, India.-Etymology:Raju is a Telugu variation of the Sanskrit word Raj and Raja meaning king, prince or lord...
, belonging to the Chintalapati family, settled here over 200 years ago under allegiance to the MahaRaja of Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram
Vizianagaram is the main city of the Vizianagaram District of north-eastern Andhra Pradesh in southern India. Vizianagaram district was formed on 1 June 1979, with some parts carved from the neighbouring districts of Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam. It is, at present, the largest municipality of...
. They have been far in advance of their time. It is through their efforts that India's first co-operative sugar mill came to be located in Etikoppaka in the early 1930s.
Padmanabha Raju in the early 1900s, saw business possibilities in the lacquer products of Etikoppaka. He searched out dyes and processes that would enhance their quality and appeal. Despite these efforts, by the mid-1980s, fewer and fewer craftsmen were available to make the lacquerware because of increasing employment opportunities in the sugar industry.
The downward spiral was reversed by one of Padmanabha Raju's descendants, Chitti Raju. He gathered the few remaining and aging craftsmen together and exposed them to new designs and concepts at national-level craft exhibitions all over the country. However, it was left to Chitti Raju's nephew, C.V. Raju, to reverse the trend and make Etikoppaka a byword for quality handicraft.
He is the contemporary face of Etikoppaka's craft today, who looked at lacquerware in all its dimensions from design to marketing. The Fine Arts Department of Andhra University
Andhra University
Andhra University or Andhra Viswa Kala Parishad , located in Visakhapatnam, north east coastal Andhra Pradesh, is one of the older premier universities in India with a broad focus...
, the National Institute of Design
National Institute of Design
The article for the postgraduate campus can be found at National Institute of Design Gandhinagar and National Institute of Design BangaloreNational Institute of Design is a design school in India. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the Department of Industrial Policy and...
and even the National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology
National Institute of Fashion Technology is a prestigious fashion institute in India. It was set up in 1986 under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and is a premier institution in design, management and technology, developing professionals leadership positions in the...
were involved in the design and development of new designs and products.
Elegant candle-stands for the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
market was followed by specially designed lacquer casings for a unique range of timepieces for Titan. Better packaging saw the transit breakage rate come down and a special tie-up with the Postal Department has ensured safe delivery of the delicate hand-crafted items to far away markets.
As the base of the lacquer product, the softwood trees became scarce, C.V. Raju sought and got the assistance of the State Forest Department to improve plantation yields and also experiment with other wood that could take lacquer just as well.
Over the years, this combination of strategies has paid off handsomely and today, Etikoppaka's lacquer-ware has found good markets not only within India but also overseas, especially in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Germany and the US.
The growing demand for lacquerware nationally and internationally, has enthused C.V. Raju and his family to set up a well-equipped design centre to train new people in the craft at Etikoppaka itself. A simple but comfortable guest house has been constructed to encourage experts to visit Etikoppaka to advise and train craftsmen locally. C.V. Raju has also continued the tradition set by his uncle, and constantly exposes his craftsmen to new ideas by taking them along to craft exhibitions and workshops across the country.