Kalanamak is one of the finest quality scented rices of India. It derives its name from black husk (kala = black; the suffix ‘namak’ means salt). This variety is in cultivation since the Buddhist period (600 BC). It was quite popular in Himalayan Tarai of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India; however, acreage under this variety declined sharply, forcing it to near extinction, due to panicle blast epidemics during 1998 and 1999, tall stature causing lodging, long duration, and low yield and grain quality.
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History
Kalanamak rice has been cultivated since the Buddhist period (600 BC). The kalanamak grains were found from excavation of Aligarhwa (Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India), located at Nepal border. Aligarhwa has been identified as the real Kapilvastu, the Kingdom of King Śuddhodana, father of Gautama Buddha. During excavation of Aligarhwa carbonized rice grains resembling Kalanamak were recovered from one of the rooms, which was identified to be the kitchen store.
Faxian, the Chinese monk wrote that when Gautama Buddha (Lord Buddha) visited Kapilvastu for the first time after attaining ‘enlightenment’, while passing through Bajha jungle, he was stopped at Mathla village by the people. The villagers asked Siddhartha to give them ‘prasad’. Siddhartha took the rice he had taken in alms and gave it to the people, asking them to sow it in a marshy place. The rice thus produced “will have typical aroma which will always remind people of me,” he said. Since then Bajha jungle has vanished and its place has been taken by Bajha village near Kapilvastu. Instead of Mathla, now Mudila village exists. The actual belt of Kalanamak rice is still believed to be the tract between Bajha and Aligarhwa. This variety, if sown elsewhere, loses its aroma and quality.
The first effort for the conservation of Kalanamak was made by the Englishmen William Pepe, J H Hemprey, and Edcan Walker (Jamindars of Alidapur, Birdpur, and Mohana) during the British Raj. They built four reservoirs at Bajha, Marthi, Moti, and Majhauli to produce Kalanamak in a large quantity. They not only produced this variety for their own consumption, but transported it to England from Uska-bazar mandi, passing through Dhaka (now in Bangladesh) via sea route. Due to its increasing demand, the British captured the land around Kapilvastu, and established Birdpur and Alidapur states. They produced Kalanamak through bonded labor and exported to Britain. When the shrewd Gujarati businessmen came to know about its business potential they formed a mandi at Uska-bazar to export Kalanamak. To counter them the British “shopkeepers” built a rail route to carry rice on the goods train. But after independence, Uska-bazar mandi became nonfunctional due to negligence, and reservoirs gathered silt. This led to a fall in production of Kalanamak.
All these evidences indicate that Kalanamak has been cultivated in Siddharthanagar area from or even before Buddhist period (600 BC).
GI Tag
Geographical Area of production of Kalanamak Rice is Bazardeeh, Bazahaw, Dubaripur, Dewra, Mohanjot, Siyao,Niyao Ramwapur, Doharia Khurd, Doharia-Bujurg, Nangarh & Aligarahawa villages of Siddharthnagar District which lies between 27° 28′ North Latitude and 82° 45′ to 83° 10′ East Longitude in the State of Uttar Pradesh .
Kalanamak rice has been granted the Geographical Indication(GI) Tag which was applied to the Government of India by Kalanamak Scented Paddy Production & Conservation Society. The GI tag is an indication which is definite to a geographical territory. It is used for agricultural, natural and manufactured goods.