Assam Silk
Welcome back to Assamese corner. I hope everybody is doing well. Without saying much I would like to start today's topic which Assam is famous for i.e Assam Silk.
Three types of Wild silks of Assam are mainly famous worldwide. Which are- Muga which is Golden, White Pat and Eri Silk. From People from UK,US to celebrities of Bollywood, Many have worn cloths made from these silks in various occasions.
So lets know what makes these silks so special.
Muga Silk- Muga silk is produced bt the larvae of silkworms Antheraea Assamensis. They larvae feed on Som and Suala leaves. The produced silks are known for their durability and glossy texture which is very fine. The golden colour of the silk and clothes made from it unique and so favourite among the Assamese girls and women.
Pat Silk- this silks are produced from silkworms Bombyx Textor. They feed on Mulberry leaves. These silks are usually white in colour and also have a great texture.
Eri Silk- This silk is made by Samia cynthia ricini silkworms which feed on leaves of Castor oil plant. The manufacturing process of this silk is different from Muga and Pat, here the pupae are allowed to developed into adults and later the opened cocoons are used to make the silk. This silk is very soft and very warm.
The practice of producing silks goes back to ancient times in Assam. Along with the production the people had also mastered the art of weaving the silks and turning them into masterpieces. All the ethnic groups of Assam have practice this.
The sophisticated craft of weaving and is popular all over India and also in abroad. A political literature of the 3rd century BC Kautilya’s Arthashastra, have references to the sophisticated silk clothing of Assam. There was another trade of Silk through the Southwestern Silk road which started from China, passed through Burma and Assam, finally getting connected to the main silk road in Turkministan.
There are references of Assam silk in the records written by Huen Sang where he has written the use and trade of Silk in Kamrupa during the King Bhaskar Varman rule . Ram Mohan Nath in his book "The Background of Assamese culture" states that: "The Kiratas,(an early Mongoloid race in Assam), were traders in silk, a word that was derived from the Mongolian original word ‘sirkek’. The Indian word ‘sari’ is probably derived from the same word. It is therefore clear that in ancient times traders from different parts of Tibet, Central Asia and China flocked to Assam through various routes, and as they traded mostly in silk.
A general term referring to the people of the Mongolian origin and it refers specially to the Bodos. These Bodos referred by Nath are today known as Bodo-Kacharis which includes groups such as Boros, Dimasas, Chutias, Rabhas, Sonowal, Garo, Koch and many more. J.Geoghegan in his book "Silk in India" states that: "It is the Kiratas who introduced the cultivation of silk with its different varieties in Assam and it is from Assam that Silk was later introduced to mainland India. Whatever may be the date of the introduction of the worm, its geographical distribution at present day.
Later during Ahom Rule, silk was given royal patronage in the 17th century.
Today the main Silk Industry of Assam is located in Sualkuchi.
Even Mahatma Gandhi was amazed to see the art of the weavers and the way they craft these silk into clothes.
The evergrowing popularity of Assam silk is awesome. Different parts of India have shops to sell this clothes from Assam Silk and today we also find these clothes in online shopping sites which is an evidence of how popular this thing has became. Thank you all. Hope you all liked it
Three types of Wild silks of Assam are mainly famous worldwide. Which are- Muga which is Golden, White Pat and Eri Silk. From People from UK,US to celebrities of Bollywood, Many have worn cloths made from these silks in various occasions.
So lets know what makes these silks so special.
Muga Silk- Muga silk is produced bt the larvae of silkworms Antheraea Assamensis. They larvae feed on Som and Suala leaves. The produced silks are known for their durability and glossy texture which is very fine. The golden colour of the silk and clothes made from it unique and so favourite among the Assamese girls and women.
Pat Silk- this silks are produced from silkworms Bombyx Textor. They feed on Mulberry leaves. These silks are usually white in colour and also have a great texture.
Eri Silk- This silk is made by Samia cynthia ricini silkworms which feed on leaves of Castor oil plant. The manufacturing process of this silk is different from Muga and Pat, here the pupae are allowed to developed into adults and later the opened cocoons are used to make the silk. This silk is very soft and very warm.
The practice of producing silks goes back to ancient times in Assam. Along with the production the people had also mastered the art of weaving the silks and turning them into masterpieces. All the ethnic groups of Assam have practice this.
The sophisticated craft of weaving and is popular all over India and also in abroad. A political literature of the 3rd century BC Kautilya’s Arthashastra, have references to the sophisticated silk clothing of Assam. There was another trade of Silk through the Southwestern Silk road which started from China, passed through Burma and Assam, finally getting connected to the main silk road in Turkministan.
There are references of Assam silk in the records written by Huen Sang where he has written the use and trade of Silk in Kamrupa during the King Bhaskar Varman rule . Ram Mohan Nath in his book "The Background of Assamese culture" states that: "The Kiratas,(an early Mongoloid race in Assam), were traders in silk, a word that was derived from the Mongolian original word ‘sirkek’. The Indian word ‘sari’ is probably derived from the same word. It is therefore clear that in ancient times traders from different parts of Tibet, Central Asia and China flocked to Assam through various routes, and as they traded mostly in silk.
A general term referring to the people of the Mongolian origin and it refers specially to the Bodos. These Bodos referred by Nath are today known as Bodo-Kacharis which includes groups such as Boros, Dimasas, Chutias, Rabhas, Sonowal, Garo, Koch and many more. J.Geoghegan in his book "Silk in India" states that: "It is the Kiratas who introduced the cultivation of silk with its different varieties in Assam and it is from Assam that Silk was later introduced to mainland India. Whatever may be the date of the introduction of the worm, its geographical distribution at present day.
Later during Ahom Rule, silk was given royal patronage in the 17th century.
Today the main Silk Industry of Assam is located in Sualkuchi.
Even Mahatma Gandhi was amazed to see the art of the weavers and the way they craft these silk into clothes.
The evergrowing popularity of Assam silk is awesome. Different parts of India have shops to sell this clothes from Assam Silk and today we also find these clothes in online shopping sites which is an evidence of how popular this thing has became. Thank you all. Hope you all liked it
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