JASDAN PATARI, a traditional chest crafted from teak and embellished with metal, has received Geographical Indication (GI) registration from the GI Registry for 2025-26 in an initiative supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)’s Gramya Vikas Nidhi (GVN) scheme.

The Centre for Environment Education (CEE) coordinated ground-level documentation and navigated the application process on behalf of communities with little access to intellectual property law, a statement issued by NABARD on Tuesday said.

Jasdan, a taluka in Rajkot district, is an important centre for the production of brass-ribbed chests called pataras (or pitara in Hindi).

As per the documentation on the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade website, these chests are  typically made of teak wood and contain eight or more drawers. Traditionally, they were covered with brass and copper, but white metal is now increasingly used in their making,” the statement said. These chests were earlier used to store dowry and bridal trousseau and often had wheels.

The GI tag  prohibits any producer outside the designated region from marketing a product as Jasdan Patari, protecting the craft from cheap imitations that have historically undercut traditional artisans in domestic and export markets.NABARD has backed similar GI tag processes for  Ajrakh block print from Kutch, sanctioned in 2021-22, as well as Amalsad Chikoo from Navsari, sanctioned in 2020-21.