Tamil Nadu's 'Panchamirtham Prasadam' gets GI tag and here's all you need to know

With a majority of the Indian population placing faith in Hinduism, temples act as an abode for them to offer their prayers. One of the many distinctions of a Hindu temple is the receiving of prasad after prayer. Prasad is a food item that is offered after worship, and it is a metaphor for deities consecrating the offerings made to them. It is offered without discrimination to all devotees.

The Geographical Indication tag is a tag bestowed upon an Indian product that establishes that product as belonging exclusively to a particular region or territory. The GI tag ensures that the product can only be made within the particular territory, which increases the success of indigenous products, by providing a geographical identity. As per the World Trade Organisation agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the prerequisite for applying for a GI tag is that the product must possess “a given quality, reputation, or any other characteristic that is attributable to its geographical location.

Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy is a temple in the town of Palani, Tamil Nadu, which offers palani panchamirtham as prasad. The prasad derives its name from pancha, meaning five, and amirtham, meaning delicacy. Panch is an indication of the five natural substances used to make the prasad - banana, cardamom, jaggery, cow ghee and honey. Palani Panchamirtham is the latest product to be granted the GI tag, which limits its production to the town of Palani.

Many products from Tamil Nadu have been accredited with the GI tag. Handicrafts like Thanjavur paintings, Arani silk, and Toda embroidery; agricultural items like Madurai malli and erode turmeric; and manufactured products like Coimbatore Wet Grinder and East India Leather have all been given the GI tag. Palani Panchamirtham is the first food item out of Tamil Nadu, 32nd overall product out of Tamil Nadu, and seventeenth food item nationwide to get acquisition of the GI tag.

The GI tag will ensure that the prasad can only be manufactured within the walls of Palani, within a latitude of 10.44° and longitude of 77.52°. This would help the local people in enjoying a better economic livelihood by boosting sales of the product and creating a more profitable market.