Andhra Pradesh's 'Atreyapuram Putharekula' receives coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tag for traditional sweet

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Geographical Indication Registry (GIR) has awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to 'Atreyapuram Putharekula', a sweet made from rice and jaggery originating from Atreyapuram village in Konaseema district of Andhra Pradesh.

An Overview of the News

• 'Atreyapuram Putharekula' sweets GI registration comes under the 'Food Ingredients' category.

• The official GI certificate handover ceremony took place at Damodaram Sanjeevayya National Law University (DSNLU) in Visakhapatnam.

• The event coincides with the National Workshop on “Geographical Indications and GI Certificate Handover Ceremony for Atreyapuram Putharekula”.

• The event was organized by the Center for Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Group and brought together experts and dignitaries from the field.

• The GI tag was awarded to Sir Arthur Cotton Atreyapuram Putharekula Manufacturers Welfare Association, and it is valid from June 14, 2023, to December 12, 2031.

• GIR, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, functions under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), part of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MoCI).

About Putharekula:

• Putharekula is a sweet dish made of a paper-thin layer of paper-like rice starch and filled with a mixture of sugar, dried fruits, and nuts.

• The name "Putharekula" is derived from Telugu, where "putha" means "coating" and "reku" (plural "rekulu") means "sheet".

• Local sweet makers usually use the MTU-3626 paddy variety, locally known as "Bondalu", which is extensively cultivated in the Konaseema region, to prepare this sweet.

About GI Tag:

• The Geographical Indication (GI) mark is a certification that ensures the quality and uniqueness of products primarily linked to their place of origin.

• As a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), India enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act in 1999, which came into effect on September 15, 2003.