Woraiyur cotton saris on display in Tiruchi. File | Photo Credit: M. Moorthy Five products from Tamil Nadu — Woraiyur cotton sari, Kavindapadi nattu sakkarai (jaggery powder), Namakkal makkal pathirangal (soapstone cookware), the traditional Thooyamalli rice variety and Ambasamudram choppu saman (wooden toys) — have secured the Geographical Indications (GI) tag, spotlighting the State’s diverse craftsmanship and agricultural heritage. With this, Tamil Nadu now has 74 products with GI tags, said Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) attorney P. Sanjai Gandhi who filed the applications on behalf of the respective associations. Woraiyur cotton sari The Woraiyur cotton saris, native to Tiruchi district, are woven in Manamedu on the banks of the Cauvery. The cotton yarn is sourced from Coimbatore and Rajapalayam, while the dyes come from Jayamkondam. Kavindapadi ‘naatu sakkarai’ Kavindapadi in Erode district is a major supplier of jaggery powder in Tamil Nadu, with vast stretches of sugarcane fields nourished by the Lower Bhavani Project canal. The village’s signature jaggery powder is made locally by mechanically crushing the cane and slowly evaporating the extracted juice. A …