Vasmat Haldi is a variety of

turmeric Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high ...

mainly grown in the

Indian state India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, for a total of 36 subnational entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into 800 districts and smaller administrative divisions by the respe ...

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

. It is a common and widely cultivated crop in

Hingoli district Hingoli district (Marathi pronunciation: �iŋɡoliː is an administrative district in the state of Maharashtra in India. The district is headquartered at Hingoli. The district occupies an area of 4,526 km2 and has a population of 11,77, ...

of the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Turmeric cultivation is prominent in the districts of Hingoli,

Parbhani Parbhani (, ) is a city in Maharashtra state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Parbhani District. Parbhani is one of the largest cities in Marathwada region. Parbhani is around away from regional headquarters of Aurangabad w ...

Nanded Nanded is a city in Maharashtra state, India. It is the List of cities in Maharashtra, tenth largest city in the state and the List of cities in India by population, seventy-ninth most populated city in India. It is the second largest city in ...

Washim Washim (Vatsagulma) is a city and a municipal council, Municipal Council in Washim district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Washim is the district headquarters of Washim district. History Washim was known earlier known as Vatsagulma and ...

and

Akola Akola () is a major city in the Vidarbha region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. The third largest city in Eastern Maharashtra after Nagpur and Amravati, it is located about east of the state capital, Mumbai, and west of the second ca ...

. Hingoli district has the largest area under turmeric cultivation in this region. Under its

Geographical Indication A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town or region). The use of a geographical indication, as an indication of the product's source, is inten ...

tag, it is referred to as "Vasmat Haldi (Turmeric)".

Name

Vasmat Haldi वसमत हळद is a prized crop in

Basmath Basmath is a city and a municipal council in Hingoli district in the state of Maharashtra, India. Demographics India census, Basmath had a population of 57,360. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Basmath has an average lit ...

taluka of Hingoli district, due to its extensive production of turmeric and so named after it. ("Halad" or "Haldi" means turmeric in the local state language of

Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...

). Vasmath or Basmath or Vasmat are variations of the same name.

Description

Vasmat Haldi, also known as turmeric, has a unique property of imparting flavor and color due to the presence of

curcumin Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by plants of the ''Curcuma longa'' species. It is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric (''Curcuma longa''), a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is sold as a herbal supplement, cosmetic ...

. Its quality, taste, texture, aroma, and color, along with its durability, make it distinct. The climatic conditions, soil characteristics, water quality, and special care contribute to the nutritional, medicinal, and chemical properties of Vasmat Haldi. Vasmat Haldi is cultivated in tropical climates for its rootstocks and has a short stem with large oblong leaves and bears ovate, pyriform, or oblong

rhizomes In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

. The rootstocks can be ground into a paste or dried and ground into a powder. The producers of Vasmat Haldi follow traditional and organic cultivation processes, a practice that has been in place since ancient times. The area is a notable exporter of the mother rhizome of 'Selam', a well-known turmeric variety. It is used not only for domestic purposes but also in various religious festivals and spiritual ceremonies. Vasmat Haldi is a medicinal plant extensively used in

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

Unani Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The term '' Yūnānī'' means 'Greek', ref ...

, and Siddha medicine. It is used as a home remedy for various diseases. Vasmat Haldi is used in various forms as a condiment, flavoring agent, coloring agent, and principal ingredient in cooking. It also has applications in the drug and cosmetic industries due to its anti-cancer and anti-viral properties.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by a Vasmat Haldi farmer from Ridhura village. File:Farmers with freshly harvested turmeric fingers in a Ridhura village field.jpg, Farmers with freshly harvested turmeric fingers in a Ridhura village field File:Close-up of freshly harvested Vasmat turmeric fingers.jpg, Close-up of freshly harvested Vasmat turmeric fingers File:Dried Vasmat Turmeric fingers held in hand.jpg, Dried Vasmat Turmeric fingers held in hand File:Vasmat Turmeric in bulb form.jpg, Vasmat Turmeric in bulb form

Geographical indication

It was awarded the

(GI) status tag from the Geographical Indications Registry under the

Union Government of India The Government of India (ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of 36 states and union territo ...

on 30 March 2024 (valid until 19 October 2031). Honourable Balasaheb Thackeray Haridra Research and Training Center from Vasmat, proposed the GI registration of Vasmat Haldi. After filing the application in October 2021, the turmeric was granted the GI tag in 2024 by the Geographical Indication Registry in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

, making the name "Vasmat Haldi" exclusive to the turmeric grown in the region. It thus became the third turmeric variety from Maharashtra after

Sangli turmeric Sangli turmeric is a variety of turmeric mainly grown in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is a common and widely cultivated crop in Sangli district. Turmeric cultivation is prominent in the southern region of Sangli, specifically in the areas ...

and the 37th type of goods from Maharashtra to earn the GI tag.

References

{{Reflist Indian cuisine GI Tagged Turmeric varieties of India Turmeric production in India Agriculture in Maharashtra Geographical indications in Maharashtra Hingoli district

Name

Description

Photo Gallery

Geographical indication

See also

References