BENGALURU: Railway stations across South Western Railway Zone plan to showcase the handmade lacquer wooden toys and handicrafts of Channapatna soon to promote awareness of them among rail passengers. The first such display-cum-awareness centre was launched at Channapatna railway station in Karnataka on Monday.
In addition, unique pieces of Karnataka would be showcased at railway stations in other states and their products promoted at stations under SWR, said Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru Division, A K Verma.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal lauded the opening of the Centre at Channapatna and tweeted, “This will promote the local toy manufacturing sector.”
Verma told TNIE, “Railways had already popularised these unique toys by distributing nearly 40,000 toys to children of migrant labourers who left by Shramik Special trains. This will be a continuation of our efforts to promote them across the country.”
The toys would not be sold but only displayed at stations to create awareness about them, he added. “A facility would be put in place such that they can be booked online,” he said.
A major centre would also be set up at Yesvantpur railway station to promote Channapatna toys, the DRM said.
In line with the 'Ek Bharat Shresta Bharat’ (initiative by the Centre to promote mutual understanding among people of different States), SWR would also showcase items of Doddaballapur and Kolar in some other part of the country as well as promote Madhubani art in Karnataka, he added.