GI Tags Of Telangana

Telangana, a vibrant state in southern India known for its rich history, pearl markets, Deccani cuisine, and diverse crafts, has secured several Geographical Indication (GI) tags. These protect products tied to the region’s unique soil, climate, traditions, and artisan skills, from agricultural staples to iconic foods and intricate handicrafts. Telangana’s GI portfolio blends Nizam-era legacies with rural heritage.

The items below represent key registered GI products from the state.

Agricultural Products

• Tandur Redgram (Registered 24.09.2020)
  Also known as Tandur pigeon pea or red gram (toor dal), cultivated in the rain-fed black cotton soils of Tandur region (Vikarabad district). Prized for high protein content (22-24%), bold grains, uniform size, rich flavor, and natural pest resistance due to traditional farming. It’s a staple pulse in Telangana cuisine, with the GI tag boosting farmer incomes through premium branding and exports.
• Warangal Chapata Chilli (Registered 06.09.2022)
  Known as “Tomato chilli” or Chapata mirchi from Warangal district, featuring bright red, round, tomato-like shape with deep color, pungent aroma, and moderate heat. Grown in the region’s fertile soils and climate, it has varieties like single patti, double patti, and odalu. Valued for culinary uses in pickles, powders, and dishes, its GI recognition enhances market value for local growers.

Food Stuff Product

• Hyderabad Haleem (Registered 18.12.2009)
  The legendary slow-cooked meat-wheat porridge from Hyderabad, made with goat meat, lentils, wheat, ghee, spices, and pounded over wood fire for 12+ hours to achieve its signature silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture. A Ramzan staple with Nizami royal roots, it’s the first non-vegetarian dish in India to receive GI status—ensuring authentic preparation, ingredients, and origin to distinguish it from similar dishes elsewhere.

Handicraft Products

• Pochampally Ikat (Registered 15.12.2003)
  Renowned tie-and-dye weaving from Pochampally (Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district), creating geometric patterns (like “chowkra”—diamond in square) on cotton/silk fabrics via resist-dyeing before weaving. Famous for sarees, dupattas, and stoles with vibrant, reversible designs, a hallmark of Telangana’s handloom heritage, blending precision and artistry.
• Silver Filigree of Karimnagar (Registered 28.04.2006)
  Delicate silver filigree (tarakasi) work from Karimnagar, involving fine twisted silver wires soldered into intricate motifs for jewelry, artifacts, and decor. Influenced by Persian styles, it’s known for lightweight elegance, floral/royal patterns, and high craftsmanship—displayed in museums and prized for its timeless appeal.
• Nirmal Toys and Craft (Registered 16.04.2007)
  Colorful wooden toys and crafts from Nirmal (Nirmal district), hand-carved from soft woods like poniki, painted with natural/bright pigments in folk motifs (animals, birds, deities, everyday scenes). Eco-friendly and whimsical, they’re used as toys, decor, and gifts—reflecting a 400-year-old tradition.
• Nirmal Furniture (Registered 01.08.2007)
  Handcrafted wooden furniture from Nirmal, featuring lightweight designs, intricate carvings, and vibrant hand-painted finishes with folk themes. Made from local softwoods, it’s durable yet artistic—ideal for home decor and blending utility with traditional aesthetics.
• Nirmal Paintings (Registered 01.08.2007)
  Folk-style paintings from Nirmal on wood, canvas, or walls, using natural colors for mythological, rural, and nature scenes with bold outlines and vivid hues. Rooted in the same artisan community as toys/furniture, these artworks preserve Telangana’s narrative art heritage.

• Gadwal Sarees (Registered 22.09.2008)
  Lightweight sarees from Gadwal (Jogulamba Gadwal district), featuring a fine cotton body paired with rich silk/zari borders and pallu. Known for intricate temple motifs, peacock designs, and a legendary thinness (once said to fit in a matchbox). Woven on pit looms with mulberry silk and high-count cotton, they’re prized for elegance, ritual use (e.g., temple offerings), and comfort in warm climates, a staple in traditional wardrobes.
• Siddipet Gollabama (Registered 05.11.2009)
  Handwoven sarees from Siddipet (Medak district) featuring the signature “Gollabhama” (milkmaid) motif, women carrying pots, often in inlay weaving technique symbolizing devotion to Lord Krishna. Made with cotton or silk, they display folk-inspired patterns, vibrant colors, and cultural storytelling through threads, reflecting Telangana’s rural and devotional heritage.
• Cheriyal Paintings (Registered 20.11.2009)
  Narrative scroll paintings (and now single panels) from Cheriyal (near Siddipet), a stylized folk art form influenced by Kalamkari and Deccani styles. Rich in local Telangana motifs, vibrant natural colors, bold outlines, and storytelling scenes from epics, myths, and village life. Traditionally used as scrolls for balladeers (Nakashi), now popular as wall art—preserving a 750+ year-old tradition with GI protection for authenticity.
• Pembarthi Metal Craft (Registered 22.12.2009)
  Exquisite brass sheet metalwork from Pembarthi village (Jangaon district), crafted by Vishwakarma artisans using lost-wax and hand-carving techniques on ten-gauge sheets. Features intricate idols, temple vahanas (vehicles), utsava vigrahas, decorative panels (Ramayana/Mahabharata scenes, Dashavatara, Navagraha), lamps, pots, and utensils. Dating back over 5,000 years with Kakatiya-era peaks, it’s renowned for fine detailing without molds—now a tourism highlight.
• Narayanpet Handloom Sarees (Registered 02.08.2010)
  Multipurpose sarees from Narayanpet (formerly Mahbubnagar district), woven in cotton, silk, or silk-cotton blends with bold checks in the body, wide zari borders (3–5.5 inches), and temple/arrowhead motifs in pallu. Known for affordability, vibrant naphthol/vat dyes, and water-influenced color quality—ideal for daily wear, ceremonies, and warm weather, with a compulsory border on both sides.
• Adilabad Dokra (Registered 06.03.2015)
  Tribal lost-wax brass casting from Adilabad district, creating hollow, rustic figurines, animals, tribal deities, lamps, and bells with a textured, unpolished finish. Crafted by artisans using clay molds, beeswax, and molten brass—prized for individualistic, folk-inspired designs reflecting Gond and other tribal aesthetics, with high cultural and collectible value.
• Warangal Durries (Registered 06.03.2015)
  Flat-woven cotton rugs (dhurries) from Warangal, featuring vibrant geometric patterns, ikat-inspired motifs, kalamkari influences, and bold colors. Handwoven on traditional looms in various sizes, they’re durable, reversible, and eco-friendly—used as floor coverings, wall hangings, or prayer mats, embodying South Indian craftsmanship.
• Pochampally Ikat (Logo) (Registered 08.08.2016)
  A protected logo for authentic Pochampally Ikat products, ensuring quality control and origin verification for this iconic tie-dye weaving technique (already GI-tagged earlier).
• Telia Rumal (Registered 15.12.2017)
  Also known as Puttapaka Telia Rumal from Puttapaka (Nalgonda district), oil-treated (telia = oil) cotton handkerchiefs or fabrics using double ikat with unique yarn oiling for enhanced color fastness, texture, and sheen. Featuring red-black-white geometric motifs, traditionally used as turbans or headgear— a rare technique revived for modern scarves and textiles.
• Hyderabad Lac Bangles (Registered 23.06.2022)
  Traditional lac (resin-based) bangles from Hyderabad’s old city (Laad Bazaar/Charkaman), handcrafted with lac mixed for flexibility, studded with stones, mirrors, beads, and intricate designs. Dating to Qutub Shahi/Golconda times, they come in vibrant colors and styles (traditional to modern), a bridal favorite symbolizing festivity, with GI tag boosting artisan recognition.

These handicraft GIs (contributing to Telangana’s total of around 18 as of recent records) protect vanishing skills, prevent fakes, and support weavers, metalworkers, and painters while promoting cultural tourism and exports.