The state of Gujarat's cultural heritage received another accolade with the awarding of a Geographical Indication (GI) Tag to the 'Mata Ni Pachedi' art work. The tag was awarded this Wednesday, April 26, which also coincides with World Intellectual Property Day.

The Gujarati name, Mata Ni Pachedi translates to ‘Behind the Mother Goddess’. Featuring depictions of the mother goddess at its centre, with the surrounding cloth adorned with tales and legends related to her. With this, naturally extracted and mineral colours are used to dye the cloth by the artisans.

The centuries-old art form is believed to be originated from the Vaghari nomads, who lived along the edges of the Sabarmati River in Gujarat. Ahmedabad currently has only a few specialised painters, known as 'Chitaras', who practice the art of Mata Ni Pachedi.

Notably, the application for GI tag, on behalf of the traditional craft of Mata Ni Pachedi, was made by the Gujarat Council on Science & Technology (GUJCOST) back in 2020.

This Wednesday, to mark the glorious feat, the Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal presented the GI certificate during a special ceremony held in Delhi.

The Mata Ni Pachedi craft has joined the ranks of 15 other traditional specialties from Gujarat, which have received the coveted GI Tag. These include unique items like Sankheda furniture, Bhalia wheat, Agates of Cambay, Gir Kesar mango, Kutch embroidery, Pethapur printing blocks, tangaliya shawl and the Rajkot Patola.