The Heart of the Craft: Our Artisans & Process
Go behind the scenes where wood meets hand and heritage. Meet the makers of Channapatna and see the 200-year-old lac-turnery technique that turns a simple piece of wood into a story.
Meet Pallavi, one of the only women artisans in the male-dominated craft of Channapatna to run her own workshop. Her journey from a shy worker to a confident leader is inspiring, and her skill is evident in every piece she creates.
This is the story of Pallavi's grit and determination. As our master craftswoman, she now trains others and runs her own unit in Channapatna, a journey we are incredibly proud to be a part of.
Pallavi started her training with us, mastering our most complex designs with precision. It was a milestone moment when she agreed to open her own unit, and today she runs it with 8 lathes, a testament to her skill and our partnership.
This is Pallavi, my master craftswoman from Channapatna, whom we have nurtured for 11 years. Her skill and attitude are second to none, and she is one of the best artisans in Channapatna today.
Design may spark the idea, but it is the artisan who gives it soul. On May Day, we celebrate people like Dilip, a third-generation master craftsman who now runs his own enterprise with our support.
This Dasara was a milestone for our artisan family. We helped our artisans, Pallavi and Dilip, start their own units. Watching them grow and succeed fills our hearts with pride and inspires others.
A quiet moment of collaboration between me and Pallavi at the lathe. We have been working with artisans in Channapatna since 2012, keeping the 200-year-old toy-making craft alive.
A glimpse into the hands that create our products. This video was made when we opened our Mysore store, celebrating the artisans who are the backbone of Varnam.
The handcrafted wooden toys from Channapatna face many challenges, from market competition to the new expressway bypassing the town. We are working to preserve this 200-year-old art form.
Does craft have a role in modern design? I believe it's the foundation. Here, our master artisans Hameed and Pallavi demonstrate the craft to a group of UI/UX designers, showing how tradition can inspire innovation.
About The Heart of the Craft: Our Artisans & Process
When you visit a workshop in Channapatna with us, you see more than machines. You see the pride of makers like Pallavi, who transitioned from wage earner to workshop owner. We do not just source. We partner, ensuring each lathe turn and natural dye application supports a sustainable path for these families.
Our craft is a conversation across time. It starts with the 200-year-old Channapatna lac-turnery technique, a tradition that saw a renaissance through Tipu Sultan and later through Bawa Mia's study of Japanese Urushi lacquer. Today, we keep this alive by focusing on the reason behind every object. We use Wrightia Tinctoria, known locally as Aale Mara wood, hand-lathed and finished with non-toxic vegetable dyes. But the real story is in the workshop.
We have moved away from the traditional middleman model. Artisans like Hameed and Pallavi, who have been with us for over a decade, now manage their own units. This means when you choose a Varnam product, you are directly funding an artisan’s independence. We invite you to step beyond the screen. Walk into our spaces in Bangalore, Mysore, or Goa. You will not find sterile retail shelves, but rather a home for the craft where you can see the grain, smell the wood, and meet the hands that shape our future.
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