THANJAVUR: The Narasinghapettai nagaswaram, a classical wind music instrument traditionally made by artisans based at a village near Kumbakonam, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Government Advocate and Nodal Officer for GI Registration of Products of the Tamil Nadu government P Sanjai Gandhi on Sunday said the application for the tag was filed on behalf of Thanjavur Musical Instruments Workers Co-operative Cottage Industrial Society Limited and facilitated by his team.
The GI registry has issued the registration certificate number 420 dated January 21, 2022. Originally the application was filed on January 31, 2014, he added.
Gandhi said the artisans based at Narasinganpettai village, who inherited the skill of making these wooden instruments from their forefathers, are making them through a process requiring specialised skills. The nagaswaram now being used by artists throughout is called ‘pari nagaswaram’, which is longer than the ‘thimiri’.
A major portion of the ‘Narasinghapettai nagaswaram’ is made from the aacha (Hardwickia binata) tree and many a time the artisans use the wood from parts of old houses, he said. The artisans use drilling machines, besides carpentry tools, to make the nagaswarams that are played widely in functions like weddings and temple festivals.