Dindigul lock and Kandangi saree-two products from Tamil Nadu — have been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by The Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
About Dindigul locks
- The Dindigul locks are known for their superior quality and durability. It is so popular worldwide that even the city is called Lock City.
- About 3000 lock manufacturing units are limited to an area of 5 km in and around Dindigul. These units are concentrated in Nagelnagar, Nallampatti, Kodaiparailpatti, Kamalapatti and Yagappanpatti.
- The abundance of iron in this region has provided base for the growth of the industry.
- There are over 50 varieties of locks made by the artisans using raw materials such as MS flat plates and brass plates .
About Kandangi Sarees
- The sarees are usually around 5.10 meters – 5.60 meters in length and are manufactured in the entire Karaikudi taluk in Sivaganga district.
- These sarees are characterised by large contrast borders and some are known to have borders covering as far as two-thirds of the saree.
- The original Kandangi saree is manually made using a winding machine, loom, shuttle and bobbin.