Patna, (Bihar Times): Madhubani painting has been registered under the provisions of Global Indications (GI) Act for patenting. Shahi litchi and tassar silk of Bhagalpur are to follow soon.

According to Abhijit Das, representative of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) the Madhubani painting is now an exclusive brand and it is the first item to be registered under the GI Act for patenting.

Madhubani paintings date back to the seventh century A.D. Traditionally, they were made on the eve of certain rituals and ceremonies such as pujas (worships),  brats (fasts) or weddings. However, in the last few years they have been popularised all over the world by famous painters, many of them women. Yashoda Devi, one of the pioneers in this field died
in Patna recently.

Abhijit Das was of the view that after Madhubani paintings, the famous Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur could become an exclusive brand of Bihar as the process is underway for its GI registration. The state is also aiming to register tassar silk and aromatic Katarni rice of Bhagalpur under the provisions of GI Act for patenting.

He was here to attend a workshop on Geographical Indications for Regional Development: Identifying Potential GIs for Bihar.

He said that once the Bihar government gets exclusive right to the brand name Shahi litchi, no one else will be able to use it to market the fruit in India or abroad.