Baranasi's Tricolour Barfi and Dhalua idol metalcraft get GI tag

Tiranga Barfi of Varanasi, associated with India's independence on 16 April 2024, has been given the status of GI product. Besides, another product of Varanasi, Dhalua Murti Metal Casting Craft, has also been included in the GI category. 

• On April 16, 2024, the Geographical Indication (GI) Registry Office based in Chennai has released the list of new products.

A total of 75 products of Uttar Pradesh have received GI tag:

• After this tag, these products of Varanasi will now get a special identity in the world. In this way, a total of 34 products in Banaras region and 75 products in Uttar Pradesh have now received the GI tag. Kashi is also called the most diverse GI city.
• This is believed to be the record for the highest number of intellectual property rights in the name of a particular land area.
• Apart from this, GI registration has also been issued for Bareilly Zardozi, Cane-Bamboo Craft, Tharu Embroidery, Pilkhuwa Hand-block Print Textile. With this the number of GI products at the state level has now reached 75. There are 58 handicrafts and 17 agricultural and food products. This is the record for most GI tags in the name of any state.

About Tiranga Barfi of Varanasi:

• During the country's independence movement, Tricolor Barfi was invented for intelligence meetings of revolutionaries and exchange of secret information.
• In this, saffron is used for saffron colour, pistachio for green colour and khoya and cashew nuts are used for white colour.

About Varanasi Dhalua Craft:

• Today, this cast craft made in Kashipura locality of Banaras has got recognition in the region of the country. The idols made here of Maa Annapurna, Lakshmi-Ganesh, Durgaji, Hanumanji etc. are quite famous. Apart from this, various types of instruments, Naxidar bells and bells, thrones, Achhamni Panchpatra and seals of minting coins have been famous.

Number of GIs in Varanasi region increased to 34 in last 9 years:

• GI expert Padmashree Dr. Rajnikanth said that before 2014, only Banaras brocade and sarees and Bhadohi handmade carpets from Varanasi region were registered as GI.
• This number has reached 34 in just nine years. This gave international legal recognition to India's rich heritage.
• Due to this, an annual business of approximately Rs 30 thousand crores has been generated in Varanasi region and nearby GI registered districts only. With this, 20 lakh people have received legal protection for their traditional products.
• New employment opportunities are opening up, the products here are rapidly reaching all parts of the world through tourism, trade and e-marketing. With the technical support of the Human Welfare Association alone, 148 GI products have been registered in 14 states.