Andaman & Nicobar’s first utility for the Geographical Indication tag is for the Nicobari hodi craft

The conventional craft of the Nicobari tribe is the Hodi, an outrigger canoe, very generally operated in Nicobar group of islands. Photo: Special Arrangement

The Geographical Indications Registry at Guindy, Chennai, has acquired an utility from the Tribal Development Council, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, in search of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Nicobari hodi craft. This is the primary utility from the Union Territory in search of a tag for one its merchandise.

The hodi is the Nicobari tribe’s conventional craft. It is an outrigger canoe, very generally operated within the Nicobar group of islands. The technical expertise for constructing a hodi are primarily based on indigenous data inherited by the Nicobarese from their forefathers. The hodi is constructed utilizing both domestically out there timber or from close by islands, and its design varies barely from island to island.

The GI tag utility states: “The master carpenter journeys to the islands where the search is to be made for the tree to make Hodi craft. Once the choice is made. the terms and conditions under which the owner will allow the tree to be felled have to be determined. The trunk selected has to be free of branches along the required length, while it has to be sufficiently wide in girth to provide for the desired width. A 60 to 80 year old tree with a straight trunk or one having a slight incline to one side is preferred.”

Considerations to be taken into consideration embrace the size of the completed canoe, which must be l2 occasions that of its width, whereas the size of the undressed tree trunk must be l5 occasions this width.

Padma Shri Awardee and GI knowledgeable, Rajani Kant, who facilitated the applying, mentioned, “ Hodis are used for transporting people and goods from one island to another, [for] sending coconuts, [for] fishing and racing purposes.”

The tuhet, a bunch of households beneath a headman, think about the hodi an asset. Hodi races are held between islands and villages.

1,000th GI utility in Chennai workplace

The Geographical Indications Registry, established in Chennai in September 2003, has acquired over 1,000 purposes. An utility in search of GI tag for the Banaras’ thandai (a beverage made with milk, dry fruits and spices) was the 1,000th utility, which was filed two weeks in the past.

Data exhibits that, as on date, round 1,015 purposes have been filed on the Chennai workplace and of them, GI tags have been given to 422 merchandise. Over 100 purposes have been refused and deserted for numerous causes, together with non-compliance, and withdrawal of papers by the candidates.

This report erroneously talked about Nicobari hodi craft as Nicobari hodi boat. The error is regretted.