Question

Kovilpatti kadalai mittai has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. In which state is Kovilpatti located?
A. Karnataka
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Kerala
D. Andhra Pradesh

Answer 1

Hint: A geographical indication (GI) is a symbol used in the case of goods which have a particular geographical origin and which have characteristics or prestige due to that origin. A sign must mark a commodity as originating in a given place in order to act as a GI.

Complete answer:
Kovilpatti is an industrial city in the Thoothukudi District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is also a special-grade municipality. It is the district's second largest town and Tamil Nadu's 12th largest town. The town is spread over an area of 49 square kilometres (19 sq. mi) and had a population of 95,097 in 2011, with a population of about 3 lakhs in the metropolitan agglomeration. It has an average altitude of 106 metres (347 feet). Kovilpatti is located 100 kilometres south of Madurai.

Additional information:
In the 1940s, to make the kadalai mittai, Ponnambala Nadar, a grocery store owner in the area, decided to use sugarcane jaggery and peanuts. Instead of the standard balls, he also introduced the cutting of the candy into rectangular types. The candy is made from groundnuts and from unique locations obtained from organic jaggery. To improve its flavour, water from Thamirabarani is used.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note:
In 2014, the association lodged a petition claiming that Kovilpatti was associated with kadalai mittai. After waiting for years, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai, peanut candy from the southern part of Tamil Nadu was granted the Geographical Indication in March 2020.