Third-gen Kashi artisans gift six GI marvels to PM; wooden Parl model steals show

Varanasi: Kashi’s looms and hands found a national stage on Tuesday as PM Narendra Modi was presented six GI-tagged treasures of the holy city during his Nari Vandan address — a moment that wove women’s empowerment with the timeless pride of local artisans.Uttar Pradesh leads India’s GI map with 79 registered handicrafts, and Kashi’s deft hands shape a significant share — making Tuesday’s event a proud milestone for the city’s artisans.Padma Shri awardee Rajni Kant, the ‘GI Man of India’, revealed that a first-of-its-kind tribute — a 24-inch miniature wooden model of the new Lok Sabha chamber — was presented to PM Modi. It was crafted in just one week by third-generation Banaras artisan Rajkumar with Sanjay Prajapati and Sanoj Painter.Also gifted was a “peacock within peacock” soft stone jali by state awardee Baccha Lal Maurya of Ramnagar. The set included a wooden Panchmukhi Ganesha, a Banarasi zardozi artwork of the new Parliament, a Namo Ghat emblem, and a grand papier-mâché Durga mask.Six GI-tagged crafts on a single platform set a new record, giving Kashi’s heritage national recognition and fresh energy to its artisans. Artisans Anil Kasera, Arun Kumar, Santara Patel, Poonam Devi, Dinesh Kumar, Avadhesh Singh and Shadab called it a proud moment for the city.