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.
