What is GI TAG? Payyanur Pavithra Mothiram Mizo Chilli Thanjavur Doll

2. Geographical Indication
 A geographical indication or GI is a sign used on products that have a specific
geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that
origin.
 Geographical Indications are part of the intellectual property rights that comes
under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
 In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical
Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.
 Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs,
wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial product

3. Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram (Ring)

4.  Payyannur is a small town in Kannur District of Kerala state.
 Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram, is traditional gold ornament with a mytical
tradition.
 Chowwatta Valappil Family claims that the thechnique of making this was
taught to one of their ancestor Kelappan Perunthattan.
 About 175 years ago a priest who come for concecration ceremony at the
Shri Subhrahmanya Swami temple after the invasion of Tipu Sultan taught
the technique.
 They beleaves that thr Thantri (Priest) who thaught this was none other
than the Lord Subhrahmanya.
 This was the first time the Pvithramothiram was made of gold instead of
Dharbha grass.
 IT is generally worn during special rituals and occasions like during poojas
or funerals.

6.  The word 'pavithram' means 'purity' and 'Mothiram' means 'ring'. Both these words are from
the Malayalam language .
 There are three lines on the outer surface of the ring and they represent three rivers of human
body: Ida, Pingala and Sushumna.
 The combination of these three rivers can awaken the vital energy or 'Kundalini Sakthi' in
human beings.
 According to the belief of Payyannur Hindus, the wearing of the sacred ring can awaken the
power of three gods of Hinduism: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu.
 There are rigorous rituals to be followed by the maker of the ring and the person who is
wearing them. They cannot eat any meat and alcohol is totally prohibited.
 Women have to remove the ring during menstruation.
 The ring is given to the customer only after being sanctified at Subramanya Temple
in Payyannur.

7.  Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram is being exhibited in many museums around the world.
 The noted freedom fighter of India Shri C.V. Kunhambu,a member of Chowwatta valappil
family was an expert in making this holy ring.
 The concept of the Payyannur Holy Ring has been commercially utilized
 Many jewellers claim to make original Payyannur Pavithra rings. The vendors claim that the
ring can bring a higher level of enlightenment and inspiration in the person using it.
 For this commercial benefits many goldsmiths of the Payyannur applied for the Gi tag other
than Chowwatta family.
 Due to this the Gi Tag registrar cancelled the registration of this given to the Chowwattu
family.
 They were granted GI Tg on February 23rd of 2004.

8.  "The Payyannur Pavithra Mothiram still enjoys GI status, but we have decided not to
give thr ownership of the status to any individual or groupor any society. In this
context we have asked to the Kerala Government to intervene in the matter so that
genuine artisqns may reap the benefits of GI status, said C G Naidu, GI Registrar
Chennai.

9. -------Mizo Chilli

10.  Mizo Chilli' or 'Mizoram's Bird Eye Chilli', a Geographical Indication, is grown under
completely organic cultivation on Siaha district of Mizoram state.
 High availability of potash in the area gives it a distinctive red colour.
 It is small, about half an inch in length greenish in color before ripening and
become bright red when ripe.
 It is one of the hottest chillies in the country.
 It has been recognized as a Geographical indication by the Government of India on
23/03/2015.
 It belongs to the Capsicum annuum species.
 It is very pungent and has an average score of 50,000-1,00,000 Scoville Heat Units
(a measure of spiciness).

12.  Bhupesh Chaudhary was appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Siaha District
in 2018.
 His appointment was almost nothing short of a blessing to the economy deprived
district.
 It was on one of his field trips as the then Deputy Commissioner that Bhupesh
came to know of the cultivation of Bird’s Eye Chilli in Siaha district. By then, this
potent red chilli pepper had already obtained a GI tag.
 But there was a problem. The farmers were selling this chilli pepper at throwaway
prices as they were not aware of its real value. Also, they had no place to store the
surplus. This forced them to sell their produce to traders from Silchar at a very low
price.
 So, the first thing Bhupesh’s administration did was organize the farmers from 5
villages into 25 Self Help Groups (SHGs). By doing so, the farmers established a
common ground when it comes to bargaining prices thereby increasing the prices
set by the traders.

14.  Mizoram’s Siaha had a huge turnaround with the success of the administration’s
initiative. The farmers were able to increase their income. They were free from
exploitation by the traders.
 With the implementation of the initiative, the farmers were able to add more value
to the red chilli pepper by processing it into powder form.
 Today, all the villages under Siaha produce the chilli powder under the brand name
‘Maraland Ahiah Paohpa’, bringing laurels not only to the district but also to
Mizoram.

15. ---- Thanjavur Doll

16.  Thanjavur is an East coast district of Taml Nadu state.
 The Thanjavur doll is a type of traditional Indian bobblehead or roly-poly
toy made of terracotta material.
 The centre of gravity and total weight of the doll is concentrated at its bottom-
most point, generating a dance-like continuous movement with slow oscillations.
 These toys are traditionally handmade, finished with detailed, painted exteriors.
 They have been recognized as a Geographical Indication by the Government of
India on of 2008-09.
 Doll’s head is larger than its body, hence it moves likes a pendulum and do no fall
sideways.
 Local people of Thanjavur call it “thanjavur Thalaiyatti Bommai” in Tamil which
means head shaking dolls.

17.  It is an ancient art of 19th century during the regime of Saraboji’s Kingdom.
 The dolls and toys are given multiple shapes, sizes, colours and styles by these
artists to represent various traditional dance forms like Bharatanatyam, Kathakali
and Manupuri, etc..
 There are 4 different part of the doll which gives them their unique movement:
legs, head, upper body and lower body.
 The dolls are in very high demand during the Navratri season in South India as it
represent the Hindu Indian culture.
 It is also in very hight demand from the foreign countries due to it’s unique feature
and appearance.

19.  These are not so expensive as they are traditionally made from wood and
terracotta clay. Some dolls are made from brass which are a bit expensive from the
clay ones.
 Best place to buy dolls in Thanjavur is around the Punnainallur Mariamman temple
area of the city.
 Making Thanjavur dolls is carried out as a traditional business running from
generations. The skills have been passed down from generations to generations.
But in todays modern and competitive world it is facing a lot of competition from
the machine made toys from across the world.
 The traditional artisans are finding it hard to survive because of the competition
from the plastic toys which are a lot cheaper and made in bulk using machineries.

21. REFERENCE
 https://search.ipindia.gov.in/GIRPublic/Application/Details/96
 https://authindia.com/7-facts-about-
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India