Tamil Nadu's pride: Kumbakonam betel leaves and Thovalai flower garlands get GI tags

CHENNAI: The Geographical Indication Registry awarded the GI tag to the traditional Kumbakonam betel leaves and Thovalai Manikka Maalai on Tuesday.

According to Intellectual Properties Right (IPR) attorney P Sanjay Gandhi, the Kumbakonam vetrilai get its characteristics, which place it apart from other betel leaves, from the Cauvery water and the fertile soils on its banks.

The betel leaf has been widely cultivated across Kumbakonam and adjacent villages of Ayyampettai, Swamimalai and Rajagiri in Thanjavur district.

“The heart-shaped Kumbakonam betel leaves are aromatic and aids in digestion,” Gandhi said.

Similarly, the Manikka maalai made in Thovalai in Kanniyakumari district stands alone among the other flower garlands as the red and white oleander flowers are folded along with nochi leaves like beads. They appear like a carpet studded with gemstones. The design is sketched on paper first and then the flowers are counted and arranged precisely before knotting with the thread begins.

The Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Rural Development Research Centre had applied for the GI tag for the Kumbakonam betel leaves, while the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation put up the Manikka Maalai for the tag, on January 13, 2022.

In November 2024, both products were enlisted in the registry and as per regulation, the GI tag was given to both Kumbakonam betel leaves and Thovalai Manikka maalai after four months of the enlistment, Gandhi said.

“Tamil Nadu, so far, possesses as many as 62 products with GI tag, and 11 of them are from the Thanjavur district,” Gandhi added.