5 months ago
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The Thoothukudi pearls harvested from the Gulf of Mannar are among the world’s oldest recorded earthy pearls, with a past spanning implicit 2,000 years, the Thoothukudi Muthu Urpathiyalargal Sangam has said.
Seeking a Geographical Indications (GI) tag, the relation highlighted the taste and symbolic value of Thoothukudi pearls successful Tamil tradition, wherever they were associated with purity, divinity and royal power. The pearls were traditionally utilized successful temple offerings, royal ornaments and diplomatic gifts.
Thoothukudi, popularly known arsenic the ‘Pearl City’, derived its individuality from a affluent and past bequest of pearl fishing. The Gulf of Mannar - 1 of the world’s astir renowned earthy pearl banks - was big to the maturation of the Indian pearl oyster.
“These pearls are people formed and hap successful round, semi-round and button-shaped forms, with creaseless surfaces and a good texture. Their colours scope from axenic achromatic and pick to airy yellow, pinkish and silvery white, and are distinguished by a highly superb nacreous lustre often described arsenic a ‘milky shine’,” the relation said successful its exertion submitted to the GI Registry.
Historically, Thoothukudi pearls were globally valued for their heavy nacre layers, long-lasting brilliance and superior finish, making them highly sought aft successful Indian, Roman, Greek, Arab, Mediterranean and East Asian markets. The past larboard of Korkai, adjacent the present-day Thoothukudi, was the earliest centre of pearl commercialized and celebrated successful Sangam lit specified arsenic ‘Pattinappaalai’ and ‘Maduraikkanchi’.
During the assemblage era, the Portuguese, Dutch, French and British controlled and taxed the pearl fishery, conducting auctions successful Thoothukudi that attracted planetary merchants.
Pearl sportfishing shaped not lone the determination system but besides the taste individuality of coastal communities, particularly the Paravas, who were historically progressive successful pearl diving.
The relation said the geographical country of accumulation of Thoothukudi pearls was on the confederate seashore of Tamil Nadu, peculiarly successful the Gulf of Mannar portion betwixt Thoothukudi and Sri Lanka, which offered a uncommon earthy situation for pearl oysters.
The portion was characterised by shallow waters, coral reef systems, mean salinity and precocious plankton attraction that were perfect conditions for the maturation of the Indian pearl oyster.
Stating that Thoothukudi pearls were exported to Rome, Arabia and China, linking the portion to past maritime commercialized routes, the relation said the commercialized contributed to the wealthiness and prestige of the Pandya and Chola kingdoms, and aboriginal of Portuguese, Dutch and British assemblage powers.
The Parava assemblage contributed unsocial taste cognition done their free-diving skills and accepted harvesting practices, a quality practice constituent unmatched successful immoderate different pearl fishery worldwide, the association, represented by IPR lawyer and GI nodal serviceman P. Sanjai Gandhi, said.
