Straight from the artisans of the eight North Eastern States, an online portal Giskaa offers the best of culinary delights, accessories, et al, to those away from home and to the culturally inquisitive both within and outside the country
The exotic lands of the North East can be best discovered on foot but the ethnic aesthetic that is innate in the food, fashion, music and artefacts is just a click away. Online portal Giskaa offers a variety of products to those curious to discover and get a hint of the rich and vibrant culture there and also for those away from home.
Meghanath Singh the owner of the site shared with us the idea behind his unique brainchild, “I have been living outside of Manipur, my home State, for the last 23 years. While living in Bangalore, traditional Manipuri food is something that I miss everyday. Most of us would ask friends and relatives to carry food items from their homes when they visit us. There is a huge North East population living in the major Indian cities, estimated close to a million. This venture is going to help them stay connected to their homeland.”
Giskaa is an acronym formed by taking the first letter of the names of the capitals for each of the eight northeastern states, G—Guwahati/Gangtok, I—Imphal/Itanagar, S—Shillong, K—Kohima, A—Agartala and A—Aizwal. The idea is to incorporate the spirit of all eight North Eastern States in this new venture. The distinct vision of this venture involves the strengthening of relations between North East and the rest of India. The tagline ‘Bring Home the Northeast’ clearly reflects this concept. “We would like customers to experience the North East through the products that they purchase and bring them into their homes. This is exactly why we have painstakingly interviewed artisans in the remotest of villages and tell their stories on our website giskaa.com with visuals and photographs of them making the products. The story talks about the origin, the uniqueness and traditional methods employed in the making of the products, the people who made it and lastly, the social, ecological and economic impact,” shared the team.
This initiative is not only a unique platform for the artisans from the North East to showcase and promote their craft but also a step forward towards making the traditions, which has been ignored for a long time, a significant part of the mainstream Indian culture. “The people and culture of North East India are also often misunderstood and misinterpreted and most of it is due to lack of awareness and knowledge of the region. A platform like this would definitely go a long way in bridging this gap and bring the North East closer to the mainstream,” said Singh.
The wide range of authentic products include pickles, dried vegetables, herbs and spices that would give the food a dash of homemade taste. With the vibrant prints of the Rani-Phi half saree and an array of other aboriginal wear of the eight States, the fashionista of the town are in for a ride. The quirky food delicacies like the smoked pork and king chilli could be the future favourites of the people who like to be a little experimental with their food. Giskaa has already received 500 orders since it began its operation on Wednesday last week and is showing every signs of being a highly successful e-commerce venture.
The venture is not only trying to bring the Indian market in its fold but also targetting the international handicraft market by shipping to places like Malaysia, Costa Rica and Tanzania amongst others. Since it’s a one of a kind online portal the response it is receiving is massive. The student circles have already got a whiff of this new development and have really positive things to say about it, “For the North Easterners living away from home, it is nice to know that our favourite delicacies are now just a click away. I’m happy to see this site promoting my home and giving people an insight into some of our traditional cuisine, clothing, decor and so on. Hope it expands and the efforts for the good of the north east don't cease,” said a Delhi university student from the North East.