Three famous products from Tamil Nadu – Jaderi namakatti, Kanniyakumari Matti banana, Chedibutta saree – were given the GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry here in Chennai on Monday.
Jaderi namakatti are clay sticks that are white in colour, usually available in finger-like shape with a smooth texture. The application seeking tag for this product was filed by Jaderi Tiruman (Namakatti) Producers Society. Jaderi is a small village in Tiruvannamalai district. There are around 120 families in Cheyyar taluk whose primary occupation has been making namakatti for more than hundreds of years now.
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.
A devotee applies ‘Thirumann’ (Holy clay). to his forehead. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam
The application for Kanniyakumari Matti banana was filed by Kanyakumari Banana and Horticulture Farmers Producer Company Limited. Matti banana is mostly grow in the Agatheeswaram, Thovalai, Thiruvattar taluks of Kanniyakumari district. It is a traditional table banana cultivar of medicinal value and the fruit is highly fragrant, sweet with sub-acid flavour, firm texture and powdery nature.
The Matti banana fruit‘s apex is 2.5 – 3 cm long and looks like mouth of a crocodile. It is also called as ‘Crocodile Finger Banana’.
The Chedibutta saree 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 Chedibutta saree has the iconic “plant and flower” motif woven on the border and pallu (edge of the saree). This flower plant design or the Chedibutta design is the intrinsic characteristic of this saree, hence the name. The saree is woven using art silk thread while the Chedibutta designs are made using brightly coloured cotton threads. The Sowrashtra community are the primary weavers of the saree. These sarees are woven by skilled weavers of the Veeravanallur town in the Tirunelveli.