Koderma's Kesariya Kalakand awaits GI Tag
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The district administration had begun its efforts to obtain the tag a year ago.
A tag is a name or symbol that signifies a product's origin from a particular geographical location, associating its quality, reputation, or other characteristics with that origin. GI tags help protect local products from imitation and give them market recognition, often boosting local economies.
Deputy commissioner Ritu Raj said, "The Kalakand of Koderma fulfilled all the necessary criteria for getting a GI tag.
The proposal already crossed multiple stages, including a detailed presentation to the concerned GI committee, scrutiny by officials, and a meeting in Ranchi with the Chief Judicial authority. The process now awaits gazette publication. If no objections are raised post-publication, the tag will be officially granted.
We are hopeful that cross last lap too without any problems."
Once obtained, the tag will boost the business of Kalakand and open new avenues for its export and recognition on global platforms.
Additional efforts are already underway to improve packaging, preservation, and overall quality standards of the product, making it market-ready for national and international shelves.
The roots of Kalakand-making in Koderma trace back to 1962-63 in Jhanda Chowk, Jhumri Tilaiya, when two brothers, Hansraj Bhatia and Mulk Raj Bhatia, migrated from Punjab and began crafting this milk-based sweet. Initially, only plain Kalakand was made, and their shop was the sole source of the dessert in the region.
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At that time, the Kalakand was priced at Rs 4 per kilogram.
Over the years, the Kalakand evolved into its now-renowned Kesariya version, which includes rose water and saffron for a richer flavour and golden hue. The sweet is made by boiling four litres of milk to yield just 1 kg of Kalakand, giving it a rich, grainy texture, a unique characteristic attributed to the local climate of Koderma, which local makers believe cannot be replicated elsewhere.
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