Silk Sarees:
India
is the second largest producer of silk, contributing to about 18 per cent of
the world production. It will be interesting to mention who is the first one. The
vibrant colours, light weight, resilience and excellent drape etc. have made
silk sarees, the irresistible and unavoidable companion of Indian women. Indian
silk is popular all over the world with its variety of designs, weaves and
patterns.
Manufacturing
process:
The
entire process of starting from the eggs till the worms are grown up and
cocoons are formed .The silk farmers let the caterpillars that make the largest
cocoons, to turn into moths. The moths then laid eggs and the eggs hatched out
more caterpillars making even bigger cocoons. Over the centuries, the size of
the cocoon has increased and silkworm cocoons are now much bigger than the
cocoons of other caterpillars (see picture). At least half a mile of continuous
thread may come from one cocoon.
The
silk threads are then dipped in colour liquid and used for preparing the
colourful silk Saree. Chinese are the ones who started the manufacturing the
silk sarees. Out of the numerous species of silk moths, scientists have
enumerated about 70 silk moths which are of some economic value.
Although
the bulk of world silk supply comes from the silk moth Bombyx Mori which is domesticated, the other
varieties of silk are known as wild silk, as they are grown in remote forest
trees in natural conditions.
The
four commercially known varieties of natural silk are (1) Mulberry silk (2)
Tasar or Oak Tasar silk (3) Muga silk and (4) Eri silk.
Mulberry
Silk:
Comes
from the silk worm “Bombyx mori” which feeds on the mulberry plant. In India,
the major mulberry silk producing states are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir.
Tasar Silk:
Less
lustrous than mulberry silk, Tassar silk is used mainly for furnishings and
interiors. Tasar silk is generated by the silkworm, Antheraea mylitta which
mainly thrive on the food plants Asan and Arjun. It is cultivated in the states
of Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Orissa, besides Maharashtra, West Bengal and
Andhra Pradesh. A wide range of silk fabrics are produced at different
production centers both Handloom and Powerlooms. A brief account of the range of
fabrics is furnished below, as is known by its popular names.
Muga Silk:
The
pride of Assam is known for its natural shimmering golden yellow colour. It is
obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis.
These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants. The muga
silk, a high value product is used in products like sarees, mekhalas, chaddars
etc.
Eri Silk:
Also
known as the Endi or Errandi silk is thick, warm, soft, rare and very long
lasting. India is a major producer of Eri Silk. It is grown in Assam and
eastern parts of India. It is also found in Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. Eri
silk is produced by Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves.
