Guwahati:

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said Assam has as many as 19 traditional products and crafts including ‘Bihu Dhol’, ‘Jaapi’ and Bodo Some items from the community have been awarded geographical indication (GI) tags.

Thirteen of the products are particularly relevant to the Bodos, the largest tribal group in the state.

Himanta Biswa Sarma wrote on a major victory.

“This includes iconic items like Assam Bihu Dhol, Japi, Sarthebari Metal Craft, etc. These products are deeply rooted in history and directly support nearly one lakh people,” he said.

Assam Jaapi is a traditional bamboo hat and Bihu Dhol is a traditional drum played during Bihu festival.

Applications for geographical indication labels for the six products were submitted in the second half of 2022, and the certification was announced on Saturday.

Assam Asharikandi terracotta handicrafts, Assam Pani Mateka handicrafts, Sarthebari metal handicrafts and Assam Mising Handloom products are the other products that have received the GI label.

In another post on X, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that 13 products from the Bodo community have also received this unique certification.

“What better day than Bodofa’s birth anniversary is the awarding of Geographical Indication tags to 13 items that embody the rich cultural heritage of our Bodo community. This recognition will go a long way in promoting these items and boosting the legacy of these cultural items. “He said.

The late community leader Upendranath Brahma was conferred the title of ‘Bodofa’ (Guardian of Bodo).

Himanta Biswa Sarma also shared a post by Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) chief Pramod Bodo, which mentioned the geographical indication tag.

He said, “Today is a proud day for the entire Bodoland as 13 items embodying the Bodo identity have been awarded the prestigious GI tag by the Geographical Indications Registry of the Government of India on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bodo Dharma United Brahma. .”

The 13 items that received geographical indication tags include three agricultural products (Gongar Dunjia, Keradapini and Khardwi) and six musical instruments (Kham, Serja, Thorkha, Jotha, Gongona and Sifung).

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