Jaderi Namakatti

Jaderi Namakatti is the finger-shaped white clay stick made in the village of Jaderi in Tiruvannamalai district, used to mark the sacred 'naamam' on the foreheads of Vaishnavite deities, devotees and even temple elephants. It is made from a fine, soft white clay found locally, which is cleaned, kneaded, shaped by hand into small cylindrical sticks and dried in the sun to a smooth, chalky finish that glides easily and leaves a bright white mark. Making the sticks is a household craft in Jaderi, practised largely by women who prepare, roll and dry them in large numbers. The namakatti is essential to Vaishnavite worship, where the white U-shaped mark is a mark of religious identity, and Jaderi supplies temples and devotees across the region and beyond. The craft provides a modest livelihood to the village families who have kept this niche tradition alive for generations.