As for the peda, the most favoured sweet offering for the gods, Mathura has stolen a march over other holy sites by getting its own GI tagged.

Now, Deoghar, home to the Baba Baidyanath Dham, is eyeing a similar recognition which, the local administration hopes, will not just give its pedas global recognition but will also lead to a boom in the businesses of peda making.

On Friday, Deoghar deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said that he had asked all peda makers of the district to register themselves with the industries department by September 30. After that he would move a formal application with the appropriate authority for GI tagging the Deoghar peda.

GI tag defines the region of origin of a particular food, agricultural or industrial product. It is given under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. And it is provided by the Geographical Indications Registry headquartered in Chennai.

Bhajantri said that he had held a couple of meetings with peda makers of the district to apprise them of the benefits of a GI tag. “We are also conducting awareness campaigns so that more and more traders get themselves registered,” he said, adding that after GI tag, Deoghar pedas can get a national and international clientele. Sellers, he said, can sell them round-the-year using online modes and food aggregators.

Mukhyamantri Laghu Evam Kutir Udyam Vikas Board, an arm of the state industries department which has been created exclusively to work for the upliftment and betterment of small and cottage industries, is also holding awareness sessions with peda makers to motivate them to register themselves with the district industries department.

District coordinator Niraj Kumar said that so far, 10 peda makers had registered themselves. He was sure more would follow soon.

“Deoghar and Ghumara in Deoghar district are the two places that are considered as the hub of peda makers. There are about 200 traders who have been in the business for generations. We are trying to motivate maximum traders before moving a formal application to the GI certification agency,” he said.

Kumar's said that once the registration window for local traders was closed, they would form a society. “Only those who are part of that society will be able to use the GI logo after the approval,” he said.

The entire process of getting GI registration takes about two-three months after submission of an application.

In Jharkhand, the traditional Sohrai-Khovar art form of Hazaribagh was the first to receive a GI tag in May last year. This particular art form showcases the use of earth colours, mainly by adivasi women, to decorate their homes. Over the years, it has also been used as wall paintings comprising lines, dots, animals and plants. Khovar depicts a nuptial chamber decorated to bless a newly married couple.

In tribal culture, Sohrai is celebrated as a festivals (cattle festival) which coincides with Diwali.