Tamil Nadu’s Jaderi ‘namakatti’, chedibutta saree and Kanniyakumari Matti banana get GI tag

Source: The post is based on the article “Tamil Nadu’s Jaderi ‘namakatti’, chedibutta saree and Kanniyakumari Matti banana get GI tag”  published in The Hindu on 31st July 2023.

What is the News?

The Geographical Indications Registry has granted the GI tag to three famous products from Tamil Nadu.

What are the products from Tamil Nadu which got GI Tag?

Jaderi namakatti: These are clay sticks that are white in colour. They are usually available in finger-like shape with a smooth texture.

They are used to adorn the foreheads of idols, men and temple elephants.

The namakatti is made up of the rich deposit of hydrous silicate minerals that form fine grain particles of clay The clay is processed and shaped in a finger-like structure. 

The production of namakatti depends on the climatic condition as it needs a lot of sunlight to dry.

Kanniyakumari Matti banana: Matti banana is a traditional table banana cultivar of medicinal value.

The fruit is highly fragrant, sweet with sub-acid flavour, firm texture and powdery nature.

The Matti banana fruit looks like the mouth of a crocodile hence it is also called ‘Crocodile Finger Banana’.

Chedibutta Saree: It is a handloom saree which depicts the Chedibutta design in art silk and cotton mix fabric.

The name ‘Chedibutta’ is a combination of two Tamil words- ‘Chedi’ (plant) and ‘Butta’ (repeated motif or design).

The iconic ‘plant and flower’ motif is woven on the border and pallu (edge of the saree).

The Sowrashtra community are the primary weavers.

What are the other products that got the GI Tag?

The seven other products from across India were also given GI tags. These products are: 1) Agra leather footwear 2) Rajasthan’s Nathdwara Pichhwai Painting 3) Kashmir’s Mushqbudji rice 4) Bihar’s Marcha Rice 5) Jammu Kashmir’s Rajouri Chikri Wood Craft 6) Agsechi Vayingim (Agassaim Brinjal) of Goa and 7) Sat Shiro Bheno (Sat Shirancho Bhendo) also known as Okra, vegetable crop of Goa.