`Bole Chudiyan, Bole Kangana': Hyderabad lac bangles to glitter as artisans apply for GI tag

Hyderabad: Famed Hyderabad handmade lac bangles are set to glitter after artisans applied for GI registration.

Hyderabad ­based Cresent Handicraft Artisans Welfare Association filed an application at GI Registry in Chennai for a Geographical Indications tag. The GI Registry, Chennai, accepted the application on Thursday.

A geographical indicator (GI) is a designation that is applied to products that have a specific geographical origin along with attributes or a reputation that are due to the place's origin.

The GI application for Hyderabad Lac Bangles has been filed. Subhajit Saha, GI agent and part of the Resolute Group has been working on this project along with Sreeha Reddy, Nodal Officer, GI from Industry and Commerce Department, and Sudin Paul, Deputy Director for Commerce and Export Promotion Department.

Lac bangle legacy goes back to 500 years with the art of making very intricate and well-designed lac bangles for generations. The Hyderabad Lac bangles are a must-buy for every tourist and bride from all over the country. Lacquer comes from resin, which is melted over a furnace and molded into a circle, then embellished with crystals, beads, or mirrors.

The GI registration will immensely help the art and the artisan community by giving them the right to sell these bangles at a more premium post the registration. GI commands high repute and quality for a product and protects the interest of producers as well as buyers.

The GI will bring in an immense sense of pride with responsibility among the artisans to not compromise with the quality and motivate them to make good designs and bring in new collections and bangles sets for brides and young girls, the press note said.

Saha also mentioned that a unique logo has been designed to associate the craft and build a connection with the customers. "We hope that the GI registration will bring in more curiosity among buyers and spur up the demand and sales of the bangles in the market by giving higher returns for their hard work. The GI will also give a sense of empowerment to the community, to own this IP right and leverage it to their potential," he said.

Hyderabad Haleem, Warangal Durries, Nirmal Toys, and Karimnagar filigree, Pochampally Ikat are some of the other products that have already bagged GI tag in Telangana.