For one of the world’s most endangered birds, 2025 brings a rare moment of hope. The Great Indian Bustard or ‘Godawan’ – a species once on the brink of extinction, with only 100 birds left in its homeland of Rajasthan, has seen its population climb to 173. To honour this fragile but significant rise, Godawan Artisanal Single Malt is releasing Godawan 173: The Collector’s Edition, a limited release created to support the conservation of the bird whose name it carries.
Only 173 bottles exist, each one representing a surviving Godawan bird. To mark the occasion, Godawan partnered with Butterfly Cannon and the master craftspeople of Jaipur, Rajasthan, to create a collection that does more than celebrate a milestone – it helps protect the next one. Every bottle is individually crafted in Jaipur’s iconic Blue Pottery, a traditional art form that makes each piece a symbol of both cultural and ecological preservation.
To bring this vision to life, Butterfly Cannon returned to Godawan’s Rajasthani roots and the artisans who are safeguarding Jaipur’s iconic Blue Pottery. Once reserved for royalty and historically used to store precious spirits, this craft is kept alive today through the dedication of local makers, under the watchful eye of Blue Pottery expert, Dr Leela Bordia. Forged from quartz, salts and natural glazes, and known for its luminous cobalt designs, Blue Pottery is painstaking, fragile and entirely shaped by hand. The perfect medium to express a story of rarity, resilience and revival.
“Butterfly Cannon has once again brought our vision to life with extraordinary craft and sensitivity. With Godawan 173, they’ve woven Jaipur Blue Pottery into every detail, creating bottles that are as rare and precious as the bird they honour. This partnership doesn’t just showcase India’s artistry to the world, it strengthens the purpose at the heart of Godawan; to protect, preserve and celebrate the Great Indian Bustard.” Hiren Dedhia, Head of Design, Diageo India
No two pieces in the collection are the same. Each ceramic bottle becomes a canvas adorned with intricate, hand-drawn art that reflects the graceful elegance of Jaipur Blue Pottery. Delicate floral motifs are contrasted with precise geometric detailing, while the noble silhouette of the Godawan bird appears on every bottle – a constant reminder of the cause at its heart. Each of the 173 designs comes alive in vivid cobalt blue, glowing like the desert sky at dusk and enriched with vibrant accents of colour that contrast against the clean white ceramic.
Arron Egan, Creative Director at Butterfly Cannon, “With Godawan 173: The Collector’s Edition, we set out to create a piece of living storytelling. Collaborating with Dr. Leela Bordia – who, through her championing of local artisans, has been instrumental in reviving the craft of Blue Pottery, ensured each bottle is an authentic expression of rarity and resilience, just like the bird it honours. This is design with purpose: beauty carrying meaning beyond the bottle.”
The collection was unveiled at an exclusive event at The Savoy in London, attended by a select guest list including actress Sonam Kapoor. Kapoor wore a custom gown by designer Erdem Moralioglu, which debuted at London Fashion Week and features intricate cobalt motifs of the Godawan bird that echoed the conservation theme. Her USD 50,000 donation underscored the wider commitment behind the project; a collective effort to protect the Godawan.
Source: Butterfly Cannon
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