Wooden toys

In the unpretentious little town of Sawantwadi, in Maharashtra&rsquos Sindhudurg district, is a shop called Kanekar Toys. Here, on the shelves, counters and even the floor you&rsquoll find woodenware of all kinds. There are painted stools, ladles, necklaces, jewellery boxes and key chains. But it is the wooden toys that demand the buyer&rsquos attention. You&rsquoll find babushka dolls with an Indian twist, cars, bikes, planes and bullock carts made to scale, little animal figurines, pencil sharpeners shaped like Raj-era soldiers and many more such excellent handcrafted wood toys. After staring at the many toys with my eyes and mouth wide open, I decided to buy this adorable Pinocchio (Rs 60) with its moveable head and limbs and a very happy caterpillar (Rs 90) with a flexible back. The caterpillar is for my three-year-old niece but the Pinocchio is mine.