163. Nizamabad Black Pottery

Nizamabad Black Pottery is a special kind of clay ware with a dark lustrous body manufactured from Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. They stand out with their striking designs of flowing lines and floral patterns on the surface. 

Nizamabad Black pottery features a shiny black surface with engraved silver patterns. The art of making this kind of pottery originated in the Kutch region of Gujarat. It is believed to have been brought to Nizamabad during the reign of the Mughals. Later, talented artisans discovered the technique of adding black colour through ash and smoke, which brought fame to this craft

Image Credit : www.odopup.in

The craftsmen make articles out of clay which has a very fine texture and shapes very well to different forms. After the clay mould is given a desired shape, the items are baked in fire and then are washed with powered vegetable matter. The surface is then burnished with mustard oil after which a sharp twig is used for decoration. 

Various beautiful floral and geometric designs are then itched to it. After following these procedures, the clay wares are then set to smoke firing which gives them the black luster. After creating the objects, the items are rubbed with oil and then baked once again. 

The grooves of the design are then filled in by hand with a fine silvery powder. When the silvery powder is washed with water and polished, the clay wares exude a silvery hue against the black background of the terracotta.

The craftsmen of Nizamabad Black pottery in Azamgarh district create an array of black pottery items that include Vases, Cups and Saucers (tea set), dinner set, Water Jugs, Plates, Jars, Flower Pots, tableware and other items.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 16 November 2015

GI Tag Number                         : 459

Certificate Number                  : 237

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Azamgarh 276 001

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/23/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

162. Mirzapur Handmade Dari

Mirzapur Handmade Dari is one among a multitude of styles of floor covering from cluster scattered across Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. They are known for their fairly bold colours and geometrical patterns. Mirzapur Handmade dari are woven in a weft-faced with plain weave. No warp thread shall be visible either on the upper or on the lower surface.

Mirzapur Handmade Dari are defined essentially by the use of the “Panja” for weaving. Panja weaving forms part of India's glorious weaving tradition. This craft is mostly used for making durries, (light woven rugs used as a kind of floor covering). The craft gets its name from a metallic claw-like tool called panja in the local dialect, used to beat and set the threads in the warp

Mirzapur Handmade Dari is made on simple horizontal looms in a weft faced plain weave which gives it a sturdy, flat appearance. The multiple forms and colours of the patterns are created through the use of independent wefts, beaten into place with a panja, metal beater. 

Image Credit : www.giheritage.com

Peacocks and lions, half - kites shapes, bold ware patterns and multi-hued diamond shaped bands, geometric shape and designs are some of the famous designs. The mix of traditional and contemporary designs is evidence of a high degree of workmanship.

Both cotton and wool are used in the making of panja durries. This gives them a sturdy and flat appearance. The uniqueness of Mirzapur Handmade Dari lies in the fact that the whole process is entirely manual, starting from designing and weaving to finishing.

A customer can buy his desired quantities, sizes, colour wise regularly for any length of time, are offered without any minimum or maximum quantity restriction which is a great advantage to the buyer. They have unparalleled flexibility in terms of quality and price.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 30 March 2015

GI Tag Number                         : 458

Certificate Number                  : 235

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Mirzapur 231 001

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/71/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

161. Lucknow Zardozi

Lucknow Zardozi an embroidery with gold wire, is a process of wrapping metal or precious metal wires around a silk thread and sewing it in floral patterns onto the cloth. The original process, which is known as “Kalabatun”, made use of silk threads wrapped in real gold or silver; the thread was subsequently sewn onto different fabrics, and then embellished with gold threads, spangles, seed pearls, wires, beads, sequins etc

In the times of the nawabs, zardozi was used to decorate tapestries and wall hangings. Even elephants and horses were covered with heavy cloths adorned with zardozi. In that era, this form of embroidery was considered a luxury, since it could only be done on heavier fabrics like velvet, satin and silk. Therefore, only the royalty could afford it. It was regarded as a symbol of opulence.

Image Source : economictimes.com

Zardozi is intricate work, requiring the handling of sharp metallic wires and semi-precious stones with acute focus and speed. The fabric, which in earlier times used to be organza, has been replaced with new blended textiles, more suited to pulling and stretching. 

A wooden frame, or adda, is used for stretching the fabric, for the technique and ease of embroidering. The designs are drawn on tracing paper, which is placed on the fabric, and a needle is used to poke through the paper so that the swabbing of kerosene with dye transfers the pattern onto the cloth. 

The embroidery is then done on this transferred tracing. While semi-precious stones and precious metals are rarely used nowadays, the golden and silver metallic wires suffice, as do the plastic or glass stones.

In the final stage, an “ari”, which is a crochet-like needle attached to a wooden stick, is used to pass threads above and below the fabric. The stitches used are salma-sitara, gijai, badla and katori.

Zardozi as a technique is understood to be a distinctive style of stitching as it differs from other traditions of embroidery like kantha, kasuti, phulkari, etc. where the movement of the threaded needle is guided by a variety of stitches. 

However, in zardozi, the thread only acts as a binding medium, whereas the body of the design is completed by laying varieties of metallic threads in several shapes and forms along with beads, stones, beetle wings, etc.

You can differentiate Lucknow zardozi from that of the other regions by way of its ornate and spread-out designs, which have an almost three-dimensional quality due to the use of a swab of cotton-filling called bukram. This is embroidered over to give the desired effect.

The objects replenished with the zardozi work have been categorized in three groups - furnishing items and accessories, costumes and related accessories, and miscellaneous artifacts

GI Tag Registration Date         : 30 March 2013

GI Tag Number                         : 236

Certificate Number                  : 192

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Lucknow 226 001

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/67/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

160. Farrukhabad Prints

Farrukhabad Prints are the famous artistic and intricate Hand block printing of traditional patterns from Uttar Pradesh. The printing on cotton and silk is done by hand, the pattern first being carved on blocks of wood and then stamped on the cloth. The method of printing is based on the stencil approach with extravagant array of designs and patterns like the “Polka Dots” (Butis) to the “Tree of Life”. 

The tree-of-life design has been the most popular. A variety of blossoms merge in this luxuriant tree. It is primarily a decorative piece unrelated to any symbol but has a flavour of growth, prosperity and immorality.

Nearly 15 different tree-of-life patterns have been evolved here and even today large wooden blocks for printing a five-foot long tree-of-life with foliage, flowers, birds and animals are available with the printer.  

Image Source from Internet

The butis are restful even though sparkling when tinted in solid colours. The dim backgrounds on which the Butis, smeared in solid colours, are worked make them all the more enticing. Mango, widely known as the ‘Paisley’ in the West, is made in variety of forms and shapes and is used in medium-bold and even designs. 

It is believed that the artistic work of cotton printing originated in Farrukhabad before 1000 years. The composition is first printed in harmonizing colours and later elaborated with delicate details painted in with a brush. 

The artisans of Farrukhabad are practicing two types of printing - Block printing and Screen printing. Initially, the artisans used natural dyes for printing but at present they are using both vegetable and synthetic dyes for the purpose.

Initially the artisans used potato for printing by using vegetable & natural dyes. Later on the artisans started using wood for making blocks for the sake of convenience, which has longer durability more users friendly. Now brass blocks are also used.

The main colours used are red, the colour of love, yellow the colour of spring, blue as in Krishna, and saffron of the yogi. The colour scheme was developed using turmeric and tesu flower for yellow, iron filings mixed with jaggery for black, indigo for blue, red from madder, marigold petals for mustard, henna leaves for golden and pomegranate bark mixed with curd for green. These colour solutions were thickened with gum.

The products of Farrukhabad print are Bed Cover, Scarf, Stole, Cotton fabric, Saree, Gents Muffler, Shawl Bed Spread, Cotton Cushion Cover, Bread Basket, Curtain, Cushion with long strip, etc. Exclusive designs in hand block printing are used in the process of production.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 30 March 2013

GI Tag Number                         : 234

Certificate Number                  : 191

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Farrukhabad 209 625

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/44/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

159. Kalanamak Rice

Kalanamak Rice from Siddharth Nagar, Uttar Pradesh is a distinctive rice variety known for its short to medium grains, dark color, and intense aroma. It boasts a unique nutty and earthy fragrance, making it a popular choice for special occasions and festive meals. It is not just a staple food; it's a cultural symbol, celebrated for its distinct characteristics and integral role in the culinary traditions of the region. 

The name Kalanamk Rice has been derived due to its black husk (kala = Black, & the suffix 'namak' means salt). It is famous for its taste, palatability, and aroma. Also known as scented black pearl, this rice is a non-basmati rice with short to medium grain length. 

Image Credit : www.odopup.in

Kalanamak Rice is in cultivation since the Buddhist period (600 BC) has been much popular in the Himalayan Tarai region of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The grains were found from excavation of Aligarhwa (district Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India), located at Nepal border

The historical and cultural significance of Kalanamak rice cannot be overlooked. The rice is not just a staple food item but also has a deep-rooted history that is linked to Lord Buddha. The rice got its nickname "Buddha rice" because of the story of Buddha sowing it in a marshy place and its characteristic aroma. 

The history of the rice goes that after enlightenment when Lord Buddha crossed Siddharthnagar, locals stopped to take his blessings and asked for some prasad, that’s when he just took a handful of paddy and gave it to them. He said "Sow it ...it has a special aroma...The fragrance will always remind people of me,". 

And today, the rice is grown in Siddharthnagar, Maharajganj, Gonda, Sant Kabir Nagar and few other places. The fact that the rice still carries the same aroma and taste after thousands of years is nothing short of amazing.

Grains are medium-slender in shape, highly scented. It is interesting to know that the milled rice of kalanamak is white in color, and when cooked, it has a soft texture that is easy to digest. The unique blend of taste, aroma, and organoleptic properties make kalanamak rice a desirable and sought-after variety of rice. 

Additionally, Kalanamak rice has better elongation when compared to other varieties of rice, which means that the cooked rice grains do not break easily and have a longer length. This property of kalanamak rice is particularly important for making dishes like biryani, pulao, and other rice-based dishes that require long and intact rice grains. 

Health Benefits of Kalanamak Rice:

• Kalanamak rice acts as an antioxidant like anthocyanin, which assists in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the advancement of skincare.

• Kalanamak rice includes a lot of micronutrients like zinc and iron. As a result, eating this rice is also said to protect against illness caused by zinc and iron deficits.

• It is claimed that eating Kalanamak rice on a regular basis can help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

• Kalanamak rice can also help strengthen, regrow, and galvanise the body, as well as help regulate blood pressure, diabetes, and skin damage.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 09 September 2013

GI Tag Number                         : 205

Certificate Number                  : 194

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Siddarthnagar 272 207

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/88/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan

158. Saharanpur Wood Craft

Saharanpur Wood craft of Uttar Pradesh is famous for  beautiful and intricate designs and carvings. The city is internationally famous for this handicraft and its artisans who have been creating magic with the material for more than 400 years. The intricate and fine workmanship makes them stand apart from others.

The wood is sourced from the adjacent areas. A wide range of wood types is used to make products - sheesham for small items, teakwood for furniture and mango for antique items. 

Grapes and grape leafs and grape vines are the most prominent designs. The motifs of leafs, trees, fruits, ornamental and geometrical designs taken from the various artefacts like monuments build during Saltant and Mughal ages are found engraved or carved on wood.

Image Credit : www.dsource.in

All of them go through the same basic steps – seasoning of timber, chemical treatment of timber, slicing, carving, inlaying and polishing. Craftsmen specialised in one (or more) of these processes and perform them every day. So each product is actually handcrafted by not one karigar but many.

Seasoning: Wood craft depends on the timber and before making wooden articles timber needs to be seasoned. Seasoning is the process of drying timber to remove the bound moisture contained in walls of the wood cells to produce seasoned timber

Chemical Treatment: When wooden articles are used in contact with ground or exposed to high moisture conditions they may be subjected to biological or insecticidal deterioration. The purpose of the chemical treatment of wood is to minimize the deterioration of wooden articles.

Slicing: The first step is to cut the logs of wood into flat slabs. This is called ‘lakdicheerna’ and is done using an electric saw. These pieces are marked with pencil and cut in different shapes and sizes according to the desired product, then are worked upon by the carving artisans.

Carving: In the woodcraft industry for a long time only hand tools were used, with time sophisticated automatic machines running on electric energy get introduced and are used. The carvers use them aptly to produce some astonishing results with minute details, keeping the intricacies and subtle light and shade effects, every desired curve, expression and texture.

Inlaying: Brass is extensively used for inlaying floral, geometric and typographic patterns into wood. Apart from embedding brass into wood, the karigars of Saharanpur have started combining wrought iron with wood. This is either to lend strength to the structure of the product or for pure aesthetic value.

Polishing: After carving the wood goods the next process is of polishing the goods. Earlier coal powder was used to bring brightness on the wood items, later wax polish with the help of brush was adopted which is still the mode of finishing and polishing the wooden goods

The Saharanpur Wood Carving industry started from art work of comb and gradually developed the portfolio of the carved wood goods like photo frame, glass mirror frame, candle stand, jewellery box, pen jar, tray, letter rack, wall panel, Metal Filling wood goods, brackets carved furniture, sofa sets, bed, cupboard, toys, swing, multipurpose boxes, chairs, Side Tables with drawers, dressing table, tables, corners, Wine/Beer Bottle Cane, Wine Box, wooden partition, Wood Filled Paintings, Fruit tray etc.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 31 March 2014

GI Tag Number                         : 184

Certificate Number                  : 206

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Saharanpur 247 001

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/85/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover. 

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Backside Scan

India Post has also issued few special covers on Saharanpur Wood Craft, details of the same is furnished below (Not an exhaustive list, but only items from my collection)

Special Cover Issued on 24 March 2015 Cancelled at Saharanpur 247002

157. Khurja Pottery

Khurja pottery from Bulandshahar district, Uttar Pradesh is unique because terra-cotta with blue painting is used. It has identifiable painted floral patterns, in shades of blue and brown, on an off-white background. A thick slip is used to raise some motifs in relief. The potters have also developed orange, brown, and light red glazes.

Khurja pottery products are decorated under glaze with Mughal art designs with unique ceramic colours. Surface of the ceramic pots is decorated with ceramic colours and mix of colours first and then is coated through spray techniques by glass forming coating called transparent glaze so that on firing, the design get visible with increased shining

Image Credit : GI India

The history of Khurja dates backs to over 600 years when some potters’ families moved from Delhi to Khurja during the reign of Mohammed-bin-Tughlak. They started with red pottery and gradually introduced blue glaze on red clay articles. 

Pottery is made by forming a ceramic body into objects of a required shape and heating them to high temperatures in a kiln which removes all the water from the clay and creates the products by increasing their strength and hardening and setting their shape.

The raw material for pottery can be classified into two classes as below 

• Plastic Raw material consists of all those clay which are used in the pottery making. The main clays are Raj Mahal Clay, Bikaner Clay, TT 75 Clay, China Clay, Ball Clay, Calcite and Fire Clay

• Non-Plastic Raw Material used in the pottery industry consists of Quartz, Potash Feldspar, Silica Sand, Pyrophylite, Bone Ash, Talc and Wollastonite

In addition to the clays, different types of chemical compounds like Zinc Oxide, Barium Carbonate, Boric Acid, Dolomite, Zircon, Copper Oxide, Cobalt Oxide, Ferrous Oxide and Magnesium Oxide are also used for glazing and colouring the pottery

Khurja Pottery may be classified into the following classes

• Terra-cotta: The terra-cotta wares are made of common clay which on baking becomes red. These wares are baked at relatively low temperature and are without glaze. 

• Earthen Ware: The earthen wares are made of white and common clay and are coated with glaze layer. 

• Stoneware: White clay made and glazed wares are known as Stoneware. The Stoneware are baked on comparatively higher temperature and are relatively stronger.

• Vitreous China Table Ware: These are fully baked, made of white clay.

• Porcelain Tableware: This class wares are made of pure China Clay, Quartz and Feldspar. These goods are baked at relatively higher temperature to the other ware classes

The pottery is fired 2-3 times to get special designs which is not common anywhere thus unique to Khurja pottery. The pottery products are fired at different temperatures with different designs of colours melting capability with reducing temperature trends. This provides strength to the products and the process is unique for Khurja pottery

Khurja Pottery can be classified broadly into three classes, scientific goods and kitchen and tableware and decorative items. Presently a large range of white wares like Crockery wares, table wares, artistic wares, etc are manufactured.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 23 March 2015

GI Tag Number                         : 178

Certificate Number                  : 219

Geographical Area                  : Uttar Pradesh

Special Cover Release Date   : 29 September 2021

Cancellation                             : Bulandshahar 203 001

Type                                          : GI Tag - ODOP Cover

Cover Identification Number  : UP/38/2021

This cover is primarily issued as part of promotion for UP State One District One Product initiative. However it is also a GI Tagged Product with GI Tag details on back side of the cover.

Enlarged View of Illustration

Enlarged View of Cancellation

Back Side Scan