Bhubaneswar: In a New Year gift for Odisha, the Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) in Chennai has accorded GI tag to seven more items of the state, taking the total count of such tagged items to 25. The Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) department Wednesday said that Gajapati Date Palm Jaggery (Khajuri Guda), Dhenkanal Magji, Mayurbhanj Kai Chutney, Nayagarh Kanteimundi brinjal, Dongria Kondh Embroidered Shawl of Rayagada, Koraput Kalajeera Rice and Painting of Lanjia Saura have got the GI tag. Kendrapada Rasabali had got GI tagged in October last year. Chennai-based GIR – the national body for GI registrations – has recently advertised applications for the seven unique products of the state. “All these products are categorised under food, handicrafts and agriculture categories and the GI applications were filed between 2020 and 2021, sources said.
Kalajeera Rice is grown in Koraput district’s Tolla, Patraput, Pujariput, Baliguda and Mohuli areas. According to ancient text, Kalajeera Rice improves memory and controls diabetes as well. Dongria Kondh Embroidered Shawl are mostly crafted by women of particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) who live in Niyamgiri Hills of Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in Odisha for their own use and to present to guests as a mark of respect and affection. ‘Idital’ painting art belongs to ‘Lanjia Saura’ (or ‘Lanjia Savara/Sabara) tribe, one of the PVTGs of Rayagada district. These paintings were originally in forms of exterior murals (wall painting) of the tribal homes. In Mayurbhanj, red weaver ants are consumed in the form of chutney known as ‘Kai Chutney’. It is known to serve medicinal purposes apart from being a delicacy. Kanteimundi brinjal, grown in Kantilo area of Nayagarh, are loaded with seeds and have prickly thorns. This brinjal variety is said to have originated in Badabanapur and Ratnapur areas of Nayagarh.
Grown in a sandy soil, it is known to have a unique taste among brinjal genotypes. Odisha Khajuri Guda (jaggery) of Gajapati district is a natural sweetener obtained from sweet juice (neera) of date palm trees. The jaggery prepared in trapezoidal form called ‘Patali gur’ traditionally, is purely organic. Dark brown, it has a unique taste. Magji, a sweet made of buffalo milk cheese, is unique to Gondia block of Dhenkanal and has been made for over 100 years now. Kendrapara Rasabali owes its origin to the 262-year-old Sree Baladevjew temple in the coastal district. The presiding deity of the shrine is offered Rasabali as ‘bhog’, it was learned.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP