The famous Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. The application for this was filed by the Odisha State Co-operative Handicrafts Corporation Limited and was facilitated by the Department of Textile and Handicrafts, Government of Odisha. Filigree has been traditionally associated with fine craftsmanship and luxurious design in classical jewellery.
Historical records attached along with the GI filing mentions: “Archaeological evidence suggest that filigree was incorporated into jewellery as early as 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia where it is practiced even today as Telkari work. According to historians, there is every possibility that the Tarakasi work reached Cuttack from Persia through Indonesia some 500 years ago by sea trade. The argument is based on similar workmanship seen in both Cuttack and Indonesia.”
“The story of Ta-Poi is an important literary example that explores maritime activities. There are multiple pieces of evidence that mention the exchange of jewellery and gems between Kalinga and Indonesia to the extent that a potential origin source of Silver Filigree in Odisha might be Indonesia. Such similarities have been drawn across multiple crafts that can be found in Indonesia and Odisha,” the record noted.
The other products to join the GI league are Banglar muslin is the one of the popular traditional handloom craft of Bengal, Narasapur crochet lace products and Kutch rogan craft.
Crochet lace work
The Banglar muslin is one of the popular traditional handloom craft of Bengal. This finest sort of muslin is made of cotton, which are spun to create threads that maintained tensile strength at counts (above 300 counts and up to 600 counts) i.e., higher than any other cotton products. And Narsapur in West Godavari region of Andhra Pradesh, which is known for crochet skills, has received global acclaim for its intricate craftsmanship, unique designs and good quality crochet craft was brought by missionaries to Narsapur, and now Narsapur is a strong centre for intricate handmade crocheted lace work.
Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun (Garlic), a variety named after Riyawan village in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh also bagged the GI tag along with the Ambaji White Marble, which is formed when limestone is re-crystallised under the earth’s crust due to intense pressure and heat. Tripura Risa Textile, Hyderabad Lac Bangles, Majuli Mask of Assam and the Assam Majuli Manuscript Painting are the other products that got GI tag.
Majuli mask of Assam are made in different variety and sizes as they are mainly divided into different categories — ‘Mukha bhaona’ face mask covers the face, ‘Lotokoi’ hanging mask which is bigger in size extends to the chest and, ‘Cho Mukha’ huge mask is a head and body mask. And the Assam Majuli Manuscript Paintings illustrated numerous stories and chapters taken from the great Hindu epics Ramayana, Mahabharata and above all subjects from the Bhagavata Purana.
