KOCHI: A variety of silks are on display and for sale at the Silk Mark Expo on at Rena Event Hub at Kaloor, here. The expo, which will be on till July 25, is for the first time showcasing wild silks from the North Eastern states.
According to Narayan Kutty, a Silk Mark official, there are eight stalls from the North Eastern states. “Muga silk from Assam is the most special one on sale at the expo. The silk has been GI tagged and is endemic to Assam,” he said.
Silk Mark official from Assam Mamta Sharma said, “The silk is not dyed and retains its natural golden colour even after processing. Earlier the cocoons used to be collected from the forests. However, once the demand increased, people began rearing silkworms.”
The process is a very long and tedious one. Hence, the big price tag that the products command, she said. “Every stage in the rearing process is done by separate groups. The first few stages of development of the worms happen in the wild. The worms feed on Som tree leaves and not mulberry.
Once they are ready to go into the cocoon stage the worms are. Collected and brought indoors,” she said. Because of the long process involved weaving a saree or stole takes a lot of time and only a few pieces can be produced at a time, added Mamta.
According to her, the team from the North East could take part in the expo because the Union Finance Ministry allotted them funds. Apart from muga silk, the expo also has clothing made from eri, tassar and mulberry silk. “The material called jute silk is actually tassar silk. It has a rough jute like texture. Besides, we also have sarees made of ahimsa silk,” said Narayan Kutty. The prices of the products range from Rs 750 to Rs 18,000.