Odisha’s Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawal Receives GI Tag

Bhubaneswar: The Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawal (Kapadaganda) from Rayagada district has received its official GI (Geographical Indication) status, informed the ST & SC Development, Minorities & Backward Class Welfare Department on Wednesday.

“The Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawal (Kapadaganda) from Rayagada district has received its official GI (Geographical Indication) status! Huge congratulations to the Niyamgiri Dongoria Kandho Weavers Association and the Advisor-Cum-Director for achieving the GI status for the Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawal. Your dedication to preserving and promoting this cultural gem is truly commendable. A special acknowledgment to the ST/SC Department also for its pivotal role in this accomplishment!”, the Department wrote on the social media platform ‘X’.

This beautiful traditional craft embodies the rich cultural heritage of the Niyamgiri Dongoria Kandho community. It reflects the skilled craftsmanship passed down through generations.

The Dongaria Kondh tribes are popular for their art of embroidery. The Kapadaganda shawl exemplifies a rich heritage of the Dongaria Kondh community. Embroidered mostly by the unmarried Kondh women, the shawls symbolize “their heritage and ethnic identity”.

The different motifs that are depicted in the shawls represent the socio-cultural relationship, which the Dongaria Kondh community shares with the Niyamgiri hills – their homeland and the abode of Niyam Raja. The colour of the Dongaria shawl also symbolizes their attributes and nature. It reveals their socio-cultural significance and unravels the philosophy of life. Each colour of the yarn carries some cultural values to this community. The embroidered shawl mirrors their society and culture and reflects the past, present and portrays the future of their cultural way of life and worldview.

The GI tag for the Dongaria Kondh Embroidered Shawal (Kapadaganda) has been applied by Niyamgiri Dongoria Kandho Weavers Association and The Advisor-cum Director and Special Secretary to Govt, Directorate of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute.