The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai has received applications seeking the GI tag for the Sawantwadi wooden craft, Udhampur Kaladi and Talapatra pothi chitra of Puri.
The application in respect of the Sawantwadi wooden craft was filed by Sutar Samaj Hastkala Producer Company Limited.
From mango trees
Sawantwadi in Maharashtra is famous for its art and culture, especially for toys made from mango trees in the village of Kolgaon. The most sought-after products here are the fruit and vegetable toys that resemble the original.
Craftsmen who make these toys belong to the Chittari and Sutar communities. Details given in the application show some of the wooden products of Sawantwadi, gifted by Indian kings to the British monarchs, are preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, as well as in the Museum of Playing Cards in Stuttgart, Germany.
Dogra cuisine
The Shyam Kaladi Cooperative Limited, Jammu and Kashmir, filed an application for the Udhampur Kaladi (a traditional ripened cheese product). It is an authentic Dogra cuisine that originated from Ramnagar in Udhampur district.
Kaladi is prepared daily at almost every sweet shop in the Jammu region. Over the years, it has evolved into a cottage industry in this region.
It is generally made from buffalo’s or cow’s milk, but goat and sheep milk is also used. This product lasts 12-30 days in winter and 12-15 days in summer.
Tales and secrets
The application for the Talapatra pothi chitra of Puri (palm leaf engraving) was filed by the Kalakruti Vikash Kendra, Odisha. These paintings are made by fine-line drawings etched with a steel stylus on rectangular strips of palm leaves that are delicately strung together.
Known as Talapatrachitras, these paintings hold a world of tales and secrets, beautifully depicted by the artists of Odisha. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are the favourite subjects of illustration in many art forms, as they are with the palm leaf paintings.
