Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

INTERNATIONAL: MEDIA : Annurag Batra Founder of exchange4media elected to International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

Annurag Batra is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of exchange4media, which manages several major media brands.

In Short

Annurag Batra elected to International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
He founded exchange4media and chairs BW Businessworld
The academy has over 900 members from 60 plus countries

Annurag Batra, Founder of exchange4media and Chairman of BW Businessworld, has been elected as a Member of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

The prestigious academy consists of over 900 members from more than 60 countries, representing the world’s leading television and media companies.

Annurag Batra is well-known in the media and television industry. He set up exchange4media, creating a new platform for media and television and has made a big impact on the digital media industry.

Batra has created a new sector that others in the field respect and follow. He is a serial entrepreneur, author, angel investor, TV show host, and a believer in the power of dreams.

He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of exchange4media, which manages several major media brands. He is also the Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of BW Businessworld Media Group.

Since acquiring BW Businessworld in late 2013, he has transformed it into a modern media conglomerate.

Batra has also served on the Board of Governors at the Management Development Institute in Gurgaon, his alma mater. He was the first graduate of MDI’s flagship program to serve on its Board of Governors from January 2020 to June 2023.

As the founder of exchange4media, he has spent over 24 years engaging with leading media owners, editors, journalists, and news media professionals.

He has built several media brands and large-scale events under exchange4media and is an accepted authority in media and television and has written extensively on these subjects. He is set to release his book in 2025 titled “Media Moguls of India.”

He is expanding his initiatives to the UAE and the MENA region. He is also investing in many media tech startups that are shaping the Indian digital media landscape.

Annurag Batra’s election to the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences is a testament to his influence and contributions to the media industry.

source/content: indiatoday.in (headline edited)

INDIA: MUSEUMS : Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum, shortlisted for Unesco’s Prix Versailles Award 2024?

The Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum in Bhuj has been listed among the 7 most beautiful museums in the world under the prestigious Prix Versailles Award.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the inclusion of Gujarat’s Smritivan memorial in the World Selection for the Prix Versailles Museums 2024.

“Smritivan in Kutch is a tribute to those we lost in the tragic Earthquake of 2001. It is a reminder of human resilience and courage as well. Glad that this Museum has found a place on the World Selection for the Prix Versailles Museums 2024,” Modi posted on X.

Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum has been shortlisted by Unesco as one of the seven most beautiful museums for the prestigious Prix Versailles Award. Announced each year at Unesco since 2015, the Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that shine a light on the finest contemporary projects worldwide.

Unesco’s Prix Versailles said the seven newly opened or reopened museums simultaneously serve creativity, are the reflection of local heritage and ecological efficiency, and leave extraordinary imprints on their environments. The shortlisted museums will all be competing for three 2024 World Titles – Prix Versailles, Interior and Exterior – whose laureates will be announced at Unesco headquarters by late November, the release added.

It is a matter of pride for Gujarat that an Indian museum has received global recognition for the first time in this manner for its expression of local culture and nature conservation, Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel said in the post.

Here’s all you need to know about Smritivan:

Covering approximately 470 acres, Smriti Van celebrates the resilience of the people who endured the 2001 earthquake, which had its epicenter in Bhuj and claimed around 13,000 lives.
The Memorial, includes the names of those who perished in the disaster, was inaugrated by PM Modi in August 2022.
The state-of-the-art Smritivan Earthquake Museum is organised into seven thematic blocks: Rebirth, Rediscover, Restore, Rebuild, Rethink, Relive, and Renew.
Rebirth: This block illustrates Earth’s evolution and its capacity to overcome challenges.
Rediscover: Showcases Gujarat’s topography and the various natural disasters the state is prone to.
Restore: Takes visitors back to the immediate aftermath of the 2001 earthquake, highlighting the extensive relief efforts by individuals and organisations.
Rebuild: Highlights Gujarat’s rebuilding initiatives and success stories following the earthquake.
Rethink: Encourages visitors to understand different types of disasters and emphasises the importance of future preparedness.
Relive: Offers an earthquake simulation experience in a 5D simulator, giving visitors a realistic sense of such an event.
Renew: Provides a space for remembrance, allowing visitors to pay homage to the lost souls.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MIDDLE EAST: Centuries-old documents from Indian community in Oman digitised for posterity

The Embassy of India, in collaboration with the National Archives of India (NAI), has completed a special digitisation project for the protection and compilation of age-old documents that give us a peek into individual anecdotes of the people of Oman and India.

For the preservation of the rich history of the Indian community in Oman, this initiative aims to collate and safeguard valuable historical documents held by the Indian diaspora in Oman, many of whom have been residing in the country for generations.

A two-member expert team from the NAI finished the daunting task on Monday in just over a week starting from May 19.

The event concluded at the embassy premises with a successful digitisation of over 7,000 documents.

Digitised contents include pictures, receipts, letters, certificates, passports, invoices and notes. These records, sourced from 30 families across Oman, trace back as far as 250 years, providing a unique window into the historical presence and contributions of the Indian community in the region.

Speaking at the event, H E Amit Narang, the Ambassador of India to Oman, said, “Our aim was to compile historical documents so that we can have a databank on the centuries-old relationship that the people of the two countries enjoyed.”

The documents also showcase how Indians were at the centre of trade among the Arab and African countries. Digitised documents adequately prove how Muscat was always a trade hub for so many countries.

“They reveal a web of historical interactions and economic exchanges, illustrating the pivotal role the Indian community played in the trade networks linking Oman, Arabia and Africa. By preserving these records, the project ensures that future generations can access and learn from this rich heritage.”

A notable aspect of the project was the creation of an oral archive, a first for the NAI.

Kalpana Shukla, an NAI representative, conducted long interviews with senior members of the community, some as old as 80 years. “This is the first time ever that the NAI has done this type of digitisation. Soon, all these records from Oman will be available for people to see. This digitisation is not only for preservation but also for research,” Kaplana said.

She added that as these digital archives become accessible, they will serve as a valuable resource for historians, researchers and the general public, fostering a deeper understanding of the contributions of the Indian community to Oman’s development.

source/content: muscatdaily.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: FASHION : Meet Santanu Das, the Kolkata-based fashion designer who crafted Payal Kapadia’s Cannes 2024 outfit

Payal, who won the Grand Prix Award for her film All We Imagine As Light at Cannes, ordered her outfit for the festival from Santanu’s artisanal clothing brand Maku Textiles.

Filmmaker Payal Kapadia carried a piece of Kolkata with her when she walked onto the stage at Cannes 2024 to receive the Grand Prix Award for All We Imagine As Light on May 25. She was wearing an outfit that was exclusively crafted for her by Kolkata-based artisanal clothing brand Maku Textiles in less than a week.

The Telegraph Online recently caught up with Maku Textiles founder-director Santanu Das, an alumni of National Institute of Design, to know the thoughts and craftsmanship that went into Payal’s outfit.

The Telegraph Online: What was your first thought when you came to know that Payal Kapadia wore an outfit designed by you to receive her Grand Prix Award at the Cannes 2024?

Santanu Das: We are part of history now. It was a very special moment. We understood her achievement is going to live forever and with that we will also be attached to her. I wrote to Payal just after I got to know about her Cannes win. It’s wonderful.

Did you know Payal Kapadia before she ordered the outfit from you? How did she come to know about Maku Textiles?

Santanu Das: No, I didn’t know her before that. Maybe that’s because I am not very social and prefer to live in a cocoon.

I don’t know how her team got in touch with me. Things happened very fast. We had to finish the outfit and deliver it in less than a week. I had to send it to Mumbai, and the last person from her team travelling to Cannes hand-carried the outfit.

Could you decode Payal’s Cannes outfit for us.

Santanu Das: We had two pieces — a jacket and a sleeveless silk dress. She wore the jacket at the screening, but it was designed in such a way that you could see the dress from the front. While collecting the award, Payal wanted to open the jacket.

When we were talking about the outfit, Payal wanted something blue and I had something black — but not very black, black. Our signature colour is indigo, so we created a different tonality of black indigo. We also considered that it could be an emotional as well as a vulnerable moment for her and that’s why I wanted her to feel guarded in our design. We talked about how the design needs to be ironed and what earrings would go with it.

Did you speak to Payal to understand how she actually wanted to present herself on the big stage?

Santanu Das: Oh, yeah, we talked a couple of times. We had a long call where we discussed how to go about the styling. We tried to understand what she generally wears and what she would feel comfortable in as we didn’t want to impose anything on her. We were very aware that she is a film director. She is from the creative world, so anything she wears must match her personality.

You are into artisanal fashion. How do you elaborate on it?

Santanu Das: It’s a segment, which isn’t open and big. This specific segment has only a handful of people coming up with handmade signature designs but in a small batch. We do everything by our hand, making it part of a sustainable network. We mix our identity with the neutral cloth to add character to it.

Your label is made in Kolkata and was founded in 2012 but your focus has always been international…

Santanu Das: Our focus has always been on international sales and curation. We want to invest in developing new things. We are present in Japan, China, Taiwan, South Korea, the US, Europe, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. Stores buy our clothes and then sell them.

In Kolkata, we have an atelier-cum-factory for people who are too keen to visit. We invite them by appointment. Our team comprises 60 people. We have 200 weavers from West Bengal, and our fabric is handwoven. We do everything such as fabrication, stitching and merchandising in Kolkata.

But some people love your work in India…

Santanu Das: I don’t know if anyone in Kolkata knows about Maku Textiles. A few people in Mumbai and Delhi know about us. More than actresses, we get filmmakers, cinematographers and art directors as clients. Anvita Dutt (creator of Bulbbul, Qala) has all my saris. Meenal Agarwal (production director), Konkona Sen Sharma, Tillotama Shome and Dia Mirza wear Maku Textiles. Anushka Sharma also visited our Kolkata studio while shooting for Pari. Both Anvita and Anushka came to know about us from Meenal.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / MOVIES: Cannes 2024: Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ scripts History for India, Wins Grand Prix

The film, the story of two Kerala nurses living in Mumbai, was the first Indian film in 30 years to compete in the main competition at Cannes.

In a historic win for India, Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light bagged the Grand Prix, the second-highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, on Saturday night.

The film, the story of two Kerala nurses living in contemporary Mumbai, was the first Indian film in 30 years to compete in the main competition at Cannes. It stars Indian actors Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam.

The jury for the 77th Cannes was presided over by Barbie director Greta Gerwig and included the illustrious likes of Lily Gladstone, Hirokazu Koreeda, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan and others.

American director Sean Baker’s Anora won the Palme d’Or, the top prize at Cannes.

The slate included Francis Ford Coppola’s Megapolis, Yorgos Lanthimos’ Kinds of Kindness, Andrea Arnold’s Bird, Jia Zhang-Ke’s Caught By the Tides amongst others.

The only Indian film to ever win the Palme d’Or — then known as Grand Prix du Festival International du Film — is Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946). Mrinal Sen’s domestic help drama Kharij won the Jury Prize in 1983.

“Please don’t wait another 30 years to have an Indian film,” Kapadia said while accepting the honour.

In 1994, Malayalam director Shaji N Karun’s rural-set classic Swaham was the last film from India to compete for the Palme d’Or.

Kapadia, an alumnus of the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), is best known for her acclaimed documentary A Night of Knowing Nothing, which premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival’s Director’s Fortnight side-bar where it won the Oeil d’or (Golden Eye) award.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / CINEMATOGRAPHER: Santosh Sivan First Asian to be conferred the Pierre Angénieux Tribute award at Cannes 2024

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was among the first to congratulate the ace cameraman.

Acclaimed cinematographer Santosh Sivan has become the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Pierre Angenieux Tribute award at the 2024 Cannes film festival.

The honour has been conferred in recognition of his ‘career and exceptional quality of work’, said an official communication.

Santosh Sivan had expressed his delight at receiving the award to The New Indian Express. Bollywood star Preity Zinta was on stage in Cannes to hand it over to him.

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was among the first to congratulate the ace cameraman. “Excited to witness the historic moment at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Congratulations to our Santosh Sivan for being selected for the Pierre Angénieux Award,” he said.

Santosh Sivan is helming the cinematography in Mohanlal’s directorial debut Barroz.

Pierre Angénieux, after whom the award is named, was one of the inventors of the modern zoom lenses.

In the past, the award was given to legends like Philippe Rousselot, Vilmos Zsigmond, Roger Deakins, Peter Suschitzky, Chistopher Doyle, Edward Lachman, Bruno Delbonnel, Agnes Godard, Darius Khondji and Barry Ackroyd.

On May 23, a masterclass had been organised where the master technician had shared his experience with the younger generation.

An internationally acclaimed cinematographer, Santosh Sivan has worked in movies like Dil Se, Roja, Iruvar and Kaalapani.

He is currently directing a Malayalam film titled Kaliyugam and Moha, an English film.

It was in 2013 that Cannes started giving the Pierre Angénieux Tribute to cinematographers.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTURE / ACTING: Anasuya Sengupta scripts History, becomes First Indian to Win top Acting Award at Cannes 2024

Anasuya won won Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her performance in the romance-drama, The Shameless.

Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian to win a top acting award at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night.

Anasuya, a production designer who lives in Goa, won Un Certain Regard Prize for Best Actress for her performance in the romance-drama, The Shameless.

The film, directed and written by Bulgarian -American, self-taught filmmaker Konstantin Bojanov, revolves around Renuka, played by Anasuya who, in the dead of night, escapes from a Delhi brothel after stabbing a policeman to death. She takes refuge in a community of sex workers in northern India, where she meets Devika (Omara Shetty), a young girl condemned to a life of prostitution. Their bond develops into a forbidden romance. Together, they embark on a perilous journey to escape the law and forge their path to freedom.

Anasuya dedicated the award to “the queer community and other marginalised communities for so bravely fighting a fight they really shouldn’t have to”.

Apart from Anasuya, two Indian films Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know and Bunnyhood won the first and third place, respectively, in the La Cinef Selection at this year’s Cannes.

While Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is a Kannada short film, directed by Chidananda Naik, a student from Film and Television Institute of India, Bunnnyhood is directed by Mansi Maheshwari. She hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and has been studying in the UK, according to a report.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: MIDDLE EAST/ QATAR: India Book of Records recognises Mikhail Vincent Paul, of Birla Public School Doha, a prodigy

In a jaw-dropping feat, Mikhail Vincent Paul, a budding paleontologist and a grade three student at Birla Public School, has roared into the spotlight by identifying a staggering 202 dinosaurs in a mere 2 minutes and 48 seconds.

This remarkable achievement has secured Mikhail a coveted spot in the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records affirming his position as a dino-legend in the making.

At the tender age of 7 years and 11 months, this young explorer’s passion for prehistoric creatures has propelled him into the limelight, capturing the hearts of dinosaur enthusiasts globally.

The astonishing accomplishment unfolded during a special event organised by the Asia Book of Records on February 4, 2024, where he showcased an encyclopedic knowledge of dinosaurs that left spectators in awe.

The family, teachers, and peers alike are celebrating this extraordinary achievement, with many marvelling at Mikhail’s ability to swiftly rattle off the names of dinosaurs with unmatched precision.

The event not only showcased the child’s exceptional memory and passion for paleontology but also served as an inspiration for other young minds to explore their interests fervently.

The young prodigy has earlier entered into the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records, at the age of 6 years and 7 months, for being able to memorise 411 logos of various brands of automobiles and identifying them in under 9 minutes with accuracy.

The staff and students of BPS Doha are proud of Mikhail and congratulated him and his family for the great achievement accomplished.

source/content: thepeninsulaqatar.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ARTS & CULTUR: Shabana Azmi to be honoured with ‘Freedom of the City of London Award’ at the UK Asian Film Festival, May 2024

On Tuesday 7th May at Somerville College, Oxford will celebrate the actress’s industry milestone following a screening at Phoenix Picturehouse of her pioneering film, Fire (1996).

Veteran Indian actress Shabana Azmi, will be honoured with the Freedom of City of London Award by the City of London Corporation, in recognition of her prolific contribution to Indian cinema and as a campaigner for women’s rights. The award presentation will be a part of the celebrations to mark her 50 years in the industry at this year’s UK Asian Film Festival – the world’s longest-running South Asian film festival outside the Subcontinent. The ceremony will take place on Friday 10th May at Guildhall, City of London.

One of the City of London’s ancient traditions, Freedom is believed to have begun in 1237 and enabled recipients to carry out their trade. As well as being nominated or applied for, the Freedom is also offered by the City of London Corporation to individuals as a way of paying tribute to their outstanding contribution to London or public life or to celebrate a very significant achievement. Other recent high-profile recipients include theatre entrepreneurs, Dame Rosemary Squire, Sir Howard Panter and Sir Cameron Mackintosh; former England and Arsenal footballer, Ian Wright; double Olympic gold medallist Tom Dean, MBE; and the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty.

Boasting an illustrious career that spans over 160 films and stretches across independent, parallel and mainstream Hindi cinema as well as international projects, Azmi is the daughter of renowned poet, Kaifi Azmi, and stage actress. Shaukat Azmi. She graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in 1973 and made her debut with Shyam Benegal’s debut social drama Ankur in 1974, which won her the National Award for Best Actress.

Between 1983 and 1985 for three consecutive years, Azmi won the National Film Award for Best Actress for her performances in Arth, Khandhar and Paar. In subsequent years, she continued to soar to the heights of critical and commercial success, becoming one of the leading ladies of Indian parallel cinema, a new-wave movement of arthouse films recognised for their authentic and realistic storyline, treatment and sensibility.

Even when it came to mainstream films, Azmi dared to traverse beyond the glossy and stereotypical portrayals of women with impactful realistic performances in films like Masoom and Arth, pushing the boundaries further and inviting audiences to re-imagine the off-screen societal norms that dictated the on-screen representations of a housewife, mother and woman in an evolving Indian society.

Azmi is the winner of five National Film Awards and several international accolades and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Padma Bhushan in 2012 by the Government of India for her outstanding contribution to cinema. Unlike many of her peers who confined themselves to on-screen activism, throughout much of her life, Azmi has remained committed to fighting injustices, lending her powerful voice and on-screen persona to critical issues such as AIDS ostracism and child mortality amongst other causes. She has worked extensively with slum dwellers in Mumbai and was the President of Nivara Hakk, a housing rights NGO that provided houses for free to 50,000 people in Mumbai who were evicted from their homes. She heads the NGO, Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS), founded by her father, which works for the upliftment of rural India with a focus on the girl child and women. She has fought relentlessly against religious fundamentalism of all hues and is highly respected as a moderate, liberal Muslim voice.

Azmi’s remarkable contributions have been recognised on numerous prestigious platforms. She was awarded the Gandhi International Peace Prize at the House of Lords by Vanessa Redgrave and honoured at the Bicentennial celebrations of International Human Rights in Paris, alongside Mother Theresa, by President Mitterand of France. Additionally, Azmi received the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum, with Mohammed Ali and Michael Douglas. She holds five Doctorates from renowned national and international universities and has been conferred with the prestigious Martin Luther King, Rosa Park, and Chavez Awards. Her recent nomination as Global Leadership Ambassador for Women in Public Service Project, initiated by Hillary Clinton, further underscores her global impact and commitment to fostering positive change. She has also been chosen by Time Magazine as one of 25 Asian heroes and is the only woman among four Indians who has made a difference.

Shabana Azmi says, “In anticipation of the esteemed Freedom of the City of London Award, I am deeply honoured. This recognition not only celebrates my contribution to cinema but also emphasises the intrinsic link between art and activism. I am humbled by this distinction and eagerly anticipate the chance to continue advocating for social causes through storytelling.”

UK Asian Film Festival Creative Director, Samir Bhamra says, “It is an honour to acknowledge the remarkable contributions of Shabana Azmi. From her pivotal role in inaugurating our festival in London to inspiring our celebration of her 50-year journey, Shabana Azmi epitomises resilience, advocacy and artistic brilliance. We stand proudly alongside her, recognising her unwavering dedication and support. Her upcoming recognition with the Freedom of the City of London award is a testament to her extraordinary achievements. UKAFF’s instrumental role in instigating this prestigious award underscores Shabana Azmi’s profound impact on the arts and society at large.”

As part of the festival programme, Celebrating The Golden Girl: Shabana Azmi on Tuesday 7th May at Somerville College, Oxford will celebrate the actress’s industry milestone following a screening at Phoenix Picturehouse of her pioneering film, Fire (India, 1996; Dir: Deepa Mehta; Language: English). The event and dinner will help raise funds to support the scholarship programme at The Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development. Continuing the festival celebrations, the actress will be in conversation onstage following screenings of some of her cult and contemporary classics: Ankur (India, 1974; Dir: Shyam Benegal; Language: Hindi with English subtitles) on Wednesday 8th May at Khalil Lecture Room, SOAS, London; Mandi (India, 1983; Dir: Shyam Benegal; Language: Hindi with English subtitles) on Thursday 9th May at Phoenix, Leicester; and Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (Idia, 2023; Dir: Karan Johar; Language: Hindi with English subtitles) on Thursday 9th May at Phoenix, Leicester.

Now in its 26th year, the UK Asian Film Festival, for which Azmi is a Patron, has historically championed South Asian female-centric cinema and women in film – both behind and in front of the camera. Its programmes have annually sought to disrupt the patriarchal status quo and initiate challenging conversations in its mission to advocate and promote gender equality in cinema.

Running at venues across London, Leicester and Oxford from Thursday 2nd – Sunday 12th May, the UK Asian Film Festival is presented by Tongues on Fire and is supported by the BFI, awarding funds from the BFI Audience Projects Fund. UK Asian Film Festival is powered by broadcast partners, SONY TV and Lyca Radio. TV Partner for the UKAFF Short Film Competition is Shorts TV.

source/content: cineblitz.in (headline edited)

NATIONAL: GI Tags / ASSETS : Over 60 products from across India earn GI tags

More States are filing applications to get a GI tag for some of their traditional and historic products.

Over 60 products from across India, including the famous Banaras Thandai, have been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. This is the first time such a large number of GI tags have been given at a go, a senior official from the Geographical Indications registry said. He also said that more States were coming forward and filing applications to get a GI tag for some of their traditional and historic products.

Six traditional crafts from Assam — Asharikandi terracotta craft, Pani Meteka craft, Sarthebari metal craft, Jaapi (bamboo headgear of rural Assam), Mishing handloom products, and the Bihu dhol — have bagged the GI tag.

Thirteen other products from Assam have been given tags, including the Bodo Dokhona, the traditional attire of Bodo women; and Bodo Eri silk, referred to as the fabric of peace or ahimsa (non-violence), which comes from the silkworm Samia ricini that feeds mostly on the leaves of the castor plant (Ricinus communis), and cassava. Bodo Jwmgra (a traditional scarf), Bodo Gamsa (traditional dress of Bodo men), Bodo Thorkha (a musical instrument), and Bodo Sifung (a long flute) are also on the list.

Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam, said it was a big win for Assam’s heritage in a post on social media platform X. “Six prestigious GI Tags have been granted to traditional crafts with support from NABARD, RO Guwahati, and facilitated by Padma Shri Dr. Rajani Kant, GI Expert. This includes iconic items like Assam Bihu Dhol, Japi, Sarthebari Metal Craft, and more. These products, deeply rooted in history, support nearly one lakh people directly,” he posted.

The famous Banaras Thandai, a drink made by blending milk with a nutritious mix of nuts, seeds and spices, also got the tag. Details in the GI filing mentioned that on any given evening, in the heart of the city, in areas such as Gaudaulia Chowk, Lahurabir, and the old lane of Pakka Mahal, traditional Banaras Thandai shops attract large crowds. The drink was first introduced many centuries ago as an offering to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath deity on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, Rangbhari Ekadasi, and Holi. The Banaras Tabla, Banaras Shehnai, Banaras Lal Bharwamirch and Banaras Lal Peda are among the products that walked away with GI tags in this region.

The Tripura region secured two tags — one for the Pachra-Rignai, which is a traditional dress worn on special occasions, and the other for the Matabari Peda, a sweet preparation. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha also took to X to laud the self-help groups for putting the State on the global map.

‘Meghalaya Garo Textile’ weaving, which is linked to socio-cultural and religious rituals, and the ‘Meghalaya Lyrnai Pottery’ and ‘Meghalaya Chubitchi’, have also secured GI tags.

The Geographical Indication is awarded to products that have a specific geographical origin, and that have characteristics related to a particular location. Till date, around 635 products in India have been given the GI tag. The first GI tag in the country was given two decades ago to the famous Darjeeling tea.