279. Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram

Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram, also known as "Nadhaswaram" and "Nathaswaram", belongs to the woodwind family known as a "Mangala vadya" meaning an auspicious instrument. Nagaswaram is one of the main classical musical instruments in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is a double reed wind instrument with a large flaring bell and a conical bore which gradually enlarges towards the lower end.

Nagaswaram is a quintessential instrument of South India, performed in wide contexts ranging from temple rituals and festivals, to life-cycle rituals as well as accompanying folk dances and street theaters. Nagaswaram is accompanied by a percussion instrument Thavil in all ritual and auspicious functions and music programs. 

Nagaswaram is considered to be one of the most ancient and unique musical instruments of Tamil Nadu. Each part of the Nagaswaram is related to a deity. The bottom circle to Surya, the Sun God, the upper hole to Goddess Sakti, the inner holes to Lord Vishnu, the body to Lord Brahma, and the seven holes to seven mothers. The music emanating is related to Lord Siva. Such a Nagaswaram is also called "Periya Melam" and "Rajavadyam"

Image credit: thehindu.com

Unique feature of Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram is the production process involved in it. Nagaswarams made in Narasingapettai are handmade unlike other machine made Nagaswarams. 

The wood involved in the production of the Nagaswaram is Aacha wood (scientific name being "Hardwickia binate") which is procured specifically from the valleys of Cauvery river. Wood from the Aacha tree makes the stem of the nadaswaram. The lower, flared part of the instrument, once made of rose wood, is now made from the wood of the Lebbeck tree (Albizia lebbeck). 

The manufacturers of Narasinghapettai choose the wood wisely and ensure that the wood is 200 years old because such wood would not absorb any kind of moisture. It is usually made of a type of ebony. The Aacha tree is naturally water resistant; so when a Nagaswaram Artist plays the instrument the wood never gets damp. There is no substitute for Aacha, a Nadaswaram maker explains.

The top portion has a metal staple into which a small metallic cylinder is inserted which is to carry the mouthpiece made or reed. The reeds themselves are made from the leaves of a locally grown plant called naanal (a variety of the bamboo family). The instrument has a cylindrical body that flares into a bell shape at the bottom and it is this form that provides the Nagaswaram with its characteristic volume and captivating tone. 

The Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram has seven finger-holes. There are five additional holes drilled at the bottom which is used as controllers. Arasu, the lower part of the instrument is made of wood of the vaagai (rain tree). It amplifies the sound. 

Besides spare reeds, a small ivory or horn needle is attached to the Nagaswaram. This needle is used to clear the mouthpiece of saliva particles and allows the free passage of air. A metallic bell, Kezhanaichu, decorates the bottom. 

The wind instrument consumes tremendous lung power. The artisan blows uniformly through the blow tip. This is made of grass locally called Korukku Thatta. The uniqueness of Narasinghapettai Nagaswaram is the hole making process, which is distinct from rest of the manufacturers; they use a special type of pointed nail to pierce the seven holes in the Nagaswaram. Different types of chisels and sharp tools are used in the carving process.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 21 January 2022

GI Tag Number                         : 467

Certificate Number                  : 420

Geographical Area                  : Tamilnadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 09 September 2022

Cancellation                             : Narasinganpettai 609 802

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/22/2022

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256. Arumbavur Wood Carvings

Arumbavur Wood Carving is done at Armbavur and surrounding places in Veppanthattai Taluk of Perambalur District in Tamilnadu. The Arumbavur artisans employ great skill in measuring geometric proportions and scale of wood and detailing required, from a single block of wood, for various wooden sculptures; from hand-sized carvings to temple chariots and temple cars. 

The Arumbavur wood carvings are primarily made out of the wooden logs of Indian siris (Poo Vaagai, Albizia lebbeck), Mango (Mangifera indica), Lingam tree (Mavilangam), Indian Ash tree (Othiyan – Odina wodier), Rose wood, Neem tree (Vembu – Azadirachta indica).

The carvings in Arumbavur Wood Carvings are often inspired by architectural details on temple sculptures and carvings. The dimensions of the wood blocks used depend on the wooden sculpture to be carved. The descriptions and designs which inspire the work lie in temple architecture indigenous to the region. Usually, the statues are crafted at a size range from 1 to 12 feet.

Image credit: giheritage.com

The Wooden sculptures are classified as two types based on the Structure namely, Full image statue (A full structure is carved out of the wood) and Bas Relief statue (Lightly carved design over the surface). 

Temple cars and chariots are used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The dimensions of the wood blocks used depend on the wooden sculpture to be carved. The descriptions and designs which inspire the work lie in temple architecture indigenous to the region.

The base part of temple car is structured into three layers as Earthly life (King, Queen, Dancing girls, Erotics), Celestial life (Devar, Kinnarar) and Heavenly life (Shiva, Vishnu, Vinayaga, Muruga, Tridevis). Temple car’s base is structured as it is hold by Demons at the base, above that Turtles and above that Athiseshan. To hold the whole weight of temple car, the wooden log piled at the base of temple car is termed as ‘Boothapaar’. Usually all temple cars have 5 boothappars.

The Vimana of inner sanctum (Garbhagriha) is considered as the purest part of a temple car. This temple car is classified as many types. Based on Wheel’s thickness and numbers, temple car is classified as Full temple car, three-fourths temple car, half temple car by the temple car sthapatis.

While numerous art forms, today, are adopting industrial methods and machinery into their art forms, Arumbavur Wood Carving solely relies on traditional instruments for carving wood into pieces of art. Instead of adopting machinery, the art form has chosen to employ multiple artisans to work at different stages of carving i.e. sizing the wood, chiseling, carving the patterns and detail etc.

In the first step, the wood is sized and cut as required by the artisans. Subsequently, a layout of the design to be carved is drawn on the cut wood using chalk. The wood is then chiselled along the layout for a roughly-carved wooden sculpture with finer details. The rough carving is then smoothened with the help of smaller chisels. The finer details are carved at this stage. 

The wooden sculpture is then polished with sandpaper for obtaining a smooth finish. The sculptures are then painted with natural colours, with lacquer or given an antique finish. Enamel paints are also used, at times. Enamel paint is often preceded by a limestone coating.

Being carved out of a single block of wood, great attention and care is required, along with no ordinary amounts of skill and finesse, in creating detail given that a single error could damage the entire piece. Additionally, the carvings are deemed to be the one of the only sculpting which uphold the religious sanctity of the wood carving tradition. 

Presently, the Arumbavur wood carvings revolves around idols and deities, temple chariots and temple car, door panels of house, pooja rooms and temples, decorative figures, pooja mandapam.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 14 September 2021

GI Tag Number                         : 429

Certificate Number                  : 368

Geographical Area                  : Tamil Nadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 09 March 2022

Cancellation                             : Tiruchirappalli 620 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/04/2022

A temple car model based on Arumbavur wood carving is pasted on the cover. Only 1000 covers are issued and each cover is numbered. 

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255. Thanjavur Netti Works

Thanjavur Netti Works (Thanjavur Pith Work) is made from pith. The pith is obtained from Netti or Sholapith, a hydrophyte plant. The artisans are skilled in this particular craft and this art is traditionally and hereditarily transferred from their fore-fathers. The distinctness of the Pith artifact’s remains in the simplicity of its production.

Netti is a dried milky white spongy plant material. The biological name of Netti is 'Aeschynomene indica' or 'Aeschynomene aspera'. The 'netti' is the cortex or core of the plant and is about 1 ½ inch in diameter

The notable works from Thanjavur Netti Works include models of the Brihadeeshwara Temple, Hindu Idols, Garlands, door hangings and show pieces used for decoration. Miniatures of rural and urban place are also made, which are decorated with lights

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The artifact’s created out of the pith looks similar to the ones made in marble and to the ones made in elephant’s tusk. They shine in a very elegant way. However, products made from the Pith are brittle and break easily, unless kept carefully. Hence, most models are preserved inside a glass box.

Artisans are trained and engaged in this business for generations. Knowledge and skill is passed traditionally from one generation to another through 'Guru Shishya' method. Pith doesn't require any mould or supporting instruments to create desired shapes unlike metal scriptures. It requires basic tools such as knives, scissors and geometric tools box to mould it.

The root is boiled, and dried in the sun. The brown cover of the hydrophyte is sliced and removed using an appropriate knife. The inner soft white portion of the stem is used to make the art pieces. Only ivory coloured pith is selected and processed further. If pith is of colour which is not of standard quality it is discarded. 

Thereafter using knife as an only tool, pith is sliced into equal dimensions. It is done in such detailing that every slice is of equal dimensions so that there is no disparity when artifacts is being compiled. Individual sub structures of the models are made and structured using the home-made paste. The raw tendrils of the reed are boiled, ground and mixed with flour to make the glue paste. 

Then sculpture or design is structured on it by the artisans. It is then cut to size and a pencil drawing is inscribed on it. A rough carving is followed by the carving of finer details with a blunt chisel and it is polished with sandpaper finally.

The finished pith work is generally fixed to a wooden base and covered with glass to protect from dust and moisture. This helps to preserve the works for years. For normal pieces ply wood made stands are used as base, whereas for big and important pieces teak and wood stands are used.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 14 September 2021

GI Tag Number                         : 423

Certificate Number                  : 367

Geographical Area                  : Tamil Nadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 09 March 2022

Cancellation                             : Tiruchirappalli 620 001

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/05/2022

Brihadeeswara Temple model made of Thanjavur Netti Works is pasted on the cover. Only 1000 covers are issued and each cover is numbered. This cover is issued with protection presentation cover with image of Pith plant.

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230. Palani Panchamirtham

Palani Panchamirtham is a combination of five natural substances, namely, Banana, Jaggery Sugar, Cow Ghee, Honey and Cardamom in a definite proportion. For additional flavour, dates and diamond sugar candies are added to the above mentioned five substances. It is prepared in a natural method without addition of any preservatives or artificial ingredients and is not subjected to any chemical process.

Palani Panchamirtham is an abishega Prasadam, which is served in a semi solid state, sweet in taste and is one of the main offerings in the Abisegam of Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy, the presiding deity of Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple situated in Palani Hills, Palani Town in Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu State

Image credit: palani.in

Devotees who visit the temple, are offered the Palani Panchamirtham as prasadam in the Hill Temple as well as in stalls run by our Temple Administration at Adivaram.  Palani Panchamirtham which is offered for abisegam to the deity, is given as prasadam only to the devotees who visit Palani and worship Lord Dhandayuthapani Swamy. 

It was the practice of Tamil People to offer natural products what they got in nature as Naivediyam to God and for Abisegam. In those days they worshipped nature as God. Ancient Tamils classified habitation into five types and fixed Gods for each habitation. 

One such habitation was living in Mountains and mountainous regions called as Kurinji Land. People lived in those region worshipped Lord Muruga as their God. People lived in Kurinji Land offered natural products such as Banana, Honey, Milk and Milk Products, Cardamom etc. to God in gratitude. 

In course of time they began to make some combination of natural products in some definite proportion and offered to God. The date of use of the Palani Panchamirtham is unascertainable, however it may be dated back to Chera King Cheraman Peruman who belonged to 9th Century AD.

As the history says, the idol of Lord Dhandayuthapani on which the abhishegam of the Pachamirtham is performed, is a navapashana constitution of herbs that are of high medicinal value. The Palani Panchamirtham when it runs over the deity rubbing against the medicinal idol, it attains curing effects.

The first step in the preparation of Palani Panchamirtham is the peeling off the skin of Banana. Fruit mill is used for processing banana. Peeled banana is fed to the fruit mill for the purpose of mashing. The mashed banana flowing out of the fruit mill is collected in an aluminium container. 

Thereafter, sieving of Jaggery and pre-cleaning of raw materials is carried out. Mashed Banana, Jaggery, Ghee, Honey, Seedless Dates, Diamond Sugar Candy and Cardamom are blended in a stainless steel mixer for about 10-12 minutes. On blending the abovementioned ingredients, the Palani Panchamirtham is prepared. 

Further, to ensure microbial safety it is subjected to the Pasteurisation for about 45 minutes and then Panchamirtham is allowed to cool. The cooled Palani Panchamirtham is packed in food grade pet jars and stored in an air conditioned room at about 19° Celsius temperature and is made ready for sale.

Palani Panchamirtham is well known for its religious fervour and gaiety. It is well known even outside the geographic limits within which it is prepared and in countries around the world as the temple attracts large number of devotees from Malaysia, Sri Lanka etc. It cannot be obtained anywhere except in the premises of the temple and stalls of the Temple administration.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 14 August 2019

GI Tag Number                         : 550

Certificate Number                  : 350

Geographical Area                  : Tamilnadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 14 December 2021

Cancellation                             : Palani 624 601

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/42/2021

Total 2000 Number of covers are issued and each cover is numbered.

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206. Madurai Malli

Madurai Malli is the most popular traditional jasmine flower-Malligai (varieties and cultivars of Jasminum sambac) cultivated in the comprehensive geographical area of Madurai, Virudhunagar, Theni, Dindigul and Sivagangai districts of Tamil Nadu state. 

From the Sangam age to till date Jasmine and Madurai are inseparable. It is clearly illustrated by the mentioning of Jasmine and Madurai in many sangam literatures like Paripaadal, Madurai Kanchi, Silappathikaaram, Soodaamani Nigandu, Kurinchippattu etc.

Madurai Malli includes the local varieties which are called the local names viz., Gundu Malli, Namma Ooru Malli, Ambu Malli, Ramabanam, Madhanabanam, Iruvatchi, Iruvatchippoo, Kasthuri Malli, Oosi Malli and Single Mogra.

Shape of Madurai Malli buds will be ranged from round to oblong in shape with short to medium long corolla tube having three to four whorls of petals. Madurai Malli has specialised characters like deep fragrance, thick petals, lengthiest petiole, delayed opening of buds, delayed petal discolouration and keeping quality.

Image Credit: tamil.samayam.com

Madurai Malli differs from other jasmine flowers in the pattern of transformation of petal colours from the harvest to utilization. The colour of Madurai Malli is somewhat greenish white when it is collected from the plant. After few hours probably at noon, the colour will turn into milky white and turn into shiny creamy white during the evening. So the whiteness of the flower will not turn into brown even after 24 hours if it is not touched or handled by humans. 

The fragrance of the jasmine grown in this geographical area is somewhat superior to that of others because of the heavy accumulation of the smell causing alkaloids ‘Jamone’ and ‘Alpha Terpineol’. The laterite and red soils of this geographical area are rich in Sulphur which is the precursor of these alkaloids.

Madurai Malli is a typical name also giving stress to the different types and fashions of garlanding Jasmine. This denotes that the flower garlanding technique adopted in Madurai only. We can observe six types of flower garlanding types. They are 

• Uruttu Kattu – In this type Malligai flowers are garlanded like a spring. This is very unique and famous in Madurai. 

• Pattai Kattu – In this type the flowers are garlanded like a strip of metal. 

• Normal tying – This is very common style of garlanding in Madurai

• Kadhambam – Mixing of other flowers with Jasmine is known as Kadhambam. 

• Maalai – This is normal type of garlanding wearing around the neck 

• Thirumbippaar – In this type Malligai flowers are garlanded with other bright coloured artificial flowers.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 15 January 2013

GI Tag Number                         : 238

Certificate Number                  : 181

Geographical Area                  : Tamil Nadu

Special Cover Release Date   : 10 November 2021

Cancellation                             : Madurai 625 009

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/40/2021

Each cover is numbered. Total 2500 covers are issued.

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202. Malabar Black Pepper

Malabar Black Pepper are familiar more common and bold tasting peppercorns with that perfect balance of peppery heat and earthiness. It originated as a chance seedling in the Southern India and was one of the spices traded with Roman and Arab traders, and later with European navigators. It is of extraordinary importance in the international trade and is known as the "King of Spices” or “Black Gold"

The area of production of this variety of pepper spans across the Malabar Coast, Western Tamil Nadu and Southern Karnataka. Malabar Black Pepper plants are cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is a small drupe, dark red when fully mature, containing a single seed.

Malabar Black pepper has got a sharp, hot and biting taste. It is a warming spice. Malabar Black provides a quarter of the world’s supply of pepper. Malabar Black pepper is highly aromatic, with a distinctive, fruity bouquet. It has the perfect combination of flavour and aroma.

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Biological classification of Malabar Black Pepper is as given below.

Kingdom     : Plantae

Division      : Magnoliphyta

Class          : Magnoliopsida

Order         : Piperales

Family       : Piperaceae

Genus       : Piper

Species    : nigrum

Malabar Black Pepper has been used as a spice in India since prehistoric times. Until well after the Middle Ages, virtually all of the black pepper found in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa travelled there from India’s region. Ports in the area also served as a stop off point for much of the trade in other spices from farther east in the Indian Ocean

Black Pepper is produced from the still-green unripe berries of the pepper plant. The berries are blanched briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the fruit, speeding the work of browning enzymes during drying. The berries are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the fruit around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer around the seed.

Malabar Pepper is classified under two grades- garbled and un-garbled. The garbled variety is black in colour nearly globular with a wrinkled surface, the deepest wrinkles forming a network in the dried fruit. The ungarbled variety has a wrinkled surface and the colour varies from dark brown to black

Malabar pepper is not only used to enhance the flavour of your various dishes, but serves largely to benefit health. The active compound found in black pepper, ‘piperine’, has been studied for its antioxidant properties that aid digestion, and maintain a good metabolism. 

Incorporating black pepper into your diet can help boost metabolism, and alleviate digestive issues. There are other possible benefits of consuming black pepper like relief from respiratory issues and helping fight cardiovascular diseases.

GI Tag Registration Date         : 28 January 2008

GI Tag Number                         : 49 & 56

Certificate Number                  : 47

Geographical Area                  : Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka

Special Cover Release Date   : 28 October 2021

Cancellation                             : Bodinayakanur 625 513

Type                                          : GI Tag Cover

Cover Identification Number  : TN/37/2021

Each cover is numbered. Total 2000 covers are issued. This cover is issued by Tamilnadu Postal Circle.

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