The 300-year-old Venkatagiri saree, produced in Andhra Pradesh, has been awarded the Geographical Indication (GI) registry tag.
With this, the Venkatagiri saree has become the 18th Indian saree to get GI tag from the registrar of intellectual property rights.
Henceforth, the Venkatagiri saree, made of pure cotton with elaborate gold and silver zari work, will sport the GI tag in Chennai's textile shops.
Besides being suitable for hot weather, these fully hand-woven sarees remain soft and the zari work shine on bold colour that does not run when washed. Special care is taken to use soft water while dyeing and treating the yarn.
Venkatagiri sarees with new embroidery designs are available at rates ranging between Rs 300 and Rs 15,000.