A Staff Reporter
Dimapur, March 26
Silk products (Eri and Muga) have been directly or indirectly impacting the livelihood of 40,000 farmers in Northeast India said Jayanta Thakuria from Fabric Plus, a manufacturing unit in Guwahati on Saturday. He was addressing buyer-seller meet on “the fabric and textile of northeast” an effort to link the gap on March 26 at Hotel Acacia Dimapur.
150 metric tons of eri silk Jayanta conveyed are produced annually from the Northeast region and silk products have started making their presence felt both in national and international markets.
Fabric Plus private limited, a more of marketing company which produces silk products have been established with an objective to promote and provide livelihood to the farmers and Fabric Plus aims to become the number one silk supplier in India.
Runway Nagaland Managing Director (MD) Nengneithem Hengna addressing the meet highlighted that Runway Nagaland and Fabric Plus has collaborated primarily to promote the fabric of Northeast region and the meet has been intended to make an effort to link the gap between buyers and sellers and create an opportunity for all.
Harnessing tradition with technology, there is an urgent need to promote handloom and handmade products of the region and particularly on Nagaland market it was observed that there is a strong need to bridge the gap of textile industry.
With Runway Nagaland and Fabric Plus, there is optimism that the partnership will nourish the handloom sector and craftsmanship which is one of the industries that the Naga people are dedicated in.
Fabric Plus products exclusively manufactured though eri and muga silks were on display on the day for people to get more idea on the products and the process that goes through manufacturing.
Eri and Muga silk
Muga silk is the product of the silkworm Antheraea assamensis endemic to Assam. The larvae of these moths feed on som (Machilus bombycina) and sualu (Litsaea polyantha) leaves.
Silk containing sericin is called raw silk. The gummy substance, affording protection during processing, is usually retained until the yarn or fabric stage and is removed by boiling the silk in soap and water, leaving it soft and lustrous, with weight reduced by as much as 30 percent.
One of the rarest Silks in the world is the Muga silk from Assam. It is produced only in Assam and nowhere else. The fact that sets this Silk apart from all other versions is that it is totally golden yellow in colour. The word `Muga’ means yellowish in Assamese. The source of it is the Muga Silk worm which goes back to the age of the dinosaurs and is so sensitive in nature that it cannot tolerate even the most minimum of pollution levels.
Muga Silk is made from the semi-cultivated silkworm named Antheraea assamensis. It is organic and natural and has the strongest natural fibre.
Muga Silk is the most expensive type of Silk and is used for making products only for the upper segments of the market. One of the major highlights of Muga Silk is it’s longitivity. It is said that generally a Muga Silk fabric outlives the wearer.
Muga Silk is known for its resilience. It can be given a fine texture by dry ironing it in a damp state or it can attain a crushed look by not getting ironed. This is one unique fabric where the golden lustre increases with age. Any type of embroidery by thread can be done on it. Most importantly, while it has got a naturally golden lustre and does not need any dyeing to be done, it is still quite compatible with most dyes. (Source:Ustavpedia)
Eri silk is the product of the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. Ericulture is a household activity practiced mainly for protein rich pupae, a delicacy for the tribal. Resultantly, the eri cocoons are open-mouthed and are spun.
Eri silk comes from the worm Samia cynthia ricini, found in North East of India and some parts of China and Japan. The name Eri is derived from the Assamese word ‘era’, which means castor as the silkworm feeds on castor plants. One of the common names, the ‘Ailanthus silk moth’, refers to the host plant. Eri silk is also known as endi or errandi in India. The wooly white silk is often referred to as the Ahimsa silk or the fabric of peace as the process does not involve the killing of the silk worm. Moths leave the cocoon as soon as it is ready to be spun. The eri silk worm is the only completely domesticated silkworm other than Bombyx mori. (Source: Wikipedia)
