Chilling in Channapatna: The Toy Town of Karnataka

What an amazing place to visit! Channapatna, the Toy Town of Karnataka, was a revelation! I was amazed by the variety of toys. We did this day trip in March this year (2024). The day began with a quick breakfast (Masala Dosa and filter coffee) at a joint near KSR (Majestic) station.

My friend Priya and I boarded a train from Majestic to Channapatna. The Toy Town is just about a 1.5-hour ride from Bengaluru. I had dozed off and was about to miss the station (where the train stops just for 2 minutes). Thankfully, my friend woke me up in time.

Once in Channapatna, we got an auto to take us to Bharath Art and Crafts. There are other shops too, but this one offers a guided tour of their factory.

So, once you visit the shop, you can ask them to show you around their workshop (which is in the shop itself). To visit their factory at the Crafts Park, you need to ask them to guide you and can then take an auto. But what's so special about the toys made in Channapatna? Well, they are all hand-made wooden toys with eco-friendly and non-toxic colours. Apt for your tiny tots!

We visited the Crafts Park (a short 15-minute ride from the shop), which houses several toy factories. While no prior booking is required to visit the factory, you need to pay 100 bucks for the ticket (per person). If you choose to make your own toy, they will charge you 300 bucks extra.

There's nothing much to see here but lots of innovative handmade toys! We got a detailed description and demo on toy-making! And of course, we bought a whole lot of toys! The best part of it all was the superhero series of toys (was amazed by the Joker and Wonder Woman toys, especially).

Post-lunch at a local eatery, we boarded a train back to Bengaluru. At the end of the day, we were two happy souls with our cute and eco-friendly toys!