Woraiyur cotton sari, Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai, Namakkal soapstone cookware among five T.N. products to get GI tags

Five products from Tamil Nadu – Woraiyur cotton saree, Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai (chard powder), Namakkal makkal pathirangal (soapstone pot), traditional Thooyamalli rice variety and Ambasamudram chop straw (wooden toys) – They have secured the Geographical Indications (GI) tag, which highlights the state’s diverse artisanal and agricultural heritage.

With this, Tamil Nadu now has 74 products with GI tags, said Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) lawyer P. Sanjai Gandhi, who filed the application on behalf of the concerned associations.

Woraiyur cotton saree

Woraiyur cotton saris, indigenous to the Tiruchi region, are woven in Manamedu on the banks of the Cauvery. The cotton yarn comes from Coimbatore and Rajapalayam, and the dyes come from Jayamkondam.

Kavindapadi ‘naatu sakkarai’

Kavindapadi in Erode district is a major supplier of jaggery powder in Tamil Nadu, with vast sugarcane fields fed by the Lower Bhavani Project canal. The village’s signature jaggery powder is made locally by mechanically crushing the cane and slowly evaporating the extracted juice.

A farmer who makes and sells ‘naatu sakkarai’ in Kavindapadi village of Erode district. File | Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan

Thooyamalli rice

Thooyamalli, meaning ‘pure jasmine’, is a traditional sambha season rice variety grown in 135 – 140 days. Tamil Nadu State Agricultural Marketing Board has applied for GI tag for this rice variety with the support of NABARD Madurai Agricultural Business Incubation Forum.

Namakkal ‘hipchatti’

Famous pot set made using soapstone from Namakkal (makkal pathirangal)It is popularly known as: it was hip, It has been a staple ingredient in South Indian cuisines for generations, with its uses dating back to ancient times.

First GI app for Namakkal before Makkal Pathirangal Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Ltd. Submitted by (Poompuhar). In July 2019, the organization requested additional time from the GI Registry to collect more supporting documents, but later withdrew the application in November 2019. An application was submitted by Namakkal Stone Products Manufacturers and MSME Technology Development Center – Intellectual Property Facilitation Center in 2022. And the product has now received the GI tag.

Ambasamudram ‘choppu ‘hay’ (wooden toys) including miniature kitchen utensils, tables and chairs. | Photo Credit: The Hindu

Ambasamudram ‘choppu straw’

art of making chop straw (wooden toys) has been practiced for over two centuries and its origins date back to the 18th century.^This century. This craft involves careful handcrafting of miniature wooden toys, from small kitchen utensils to small tables, chairs and other play objects, designed to stimulate children’s imagination and creativity. Traditionally made at Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli district, these toys were carved from indigenous trees. Manjal Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba), teak and rosewood.