Kullu shawls, the Chamba rumal and Chamba chappals are among the GI-tagged crafts of Himachal Pradesh
Background
In the Kullu valley more than 3,000 weavers working in self-help groups produce the brightly patterned, GI-tagged Kullu shawls.
They are part of an estimated 10,000-12,000 handloom artisans across Himachal Pradesh, and the neighbouring Kinnaur district's shawls carry intricate mythological motifs.
The Chamba rumal is a GI-tagged miniature hand-embroidered cloth made primarily by women artisans in Chamba district.
Chamba chappals, the traditional leather slippers of the same district, are another GI-tagged product made by hundreds of small cottage craft units.
Woodcraft is produced in Chamba, Kinnaur and Kullu, and the state also has traditional metalware, pottery and bamboo craft clusters.
Among its distinctive farm products are Kala Zeera, the black cumin grown in the high-altitude districts, and Chulli oil, an apricot kernel oil extracted in the Himalayan belt.
Food processing is concentrated in Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh, and the medical devices industry is concentrated in Solan district.
In plain words
GI tag Geographical Indication tag — A mark that ties a product to the place whose qualities and reputation it carries.
Chamba rumal Chamba rumal — A fine hand-embroidered cloth from Chamba, worked mostly by women artisans.
Kala Zeera Kala Zeera — Black cumin, an aromatic spice grown in the high-altitude districts of Himachal Pradesh.