As a child, I was very fond of playing dress-up, like
most little girls are. I used to make my mother and grandmother drape one of
their mekhela-chadars around me, and derive great pleasure in parading about
like a grown-up. My all time favourite was the muga mekhala chadar because of
its natural golden sheen and the bright red and green motifs. Now, as a 21 year
old, the child’s fascination has been replaced by a curiosity to know more
about this wonder fabric that is indigenous to Assam.
 |
| A 2 year old me in a muga mekhela-chadar |
Assam has a long tradition of weaving. In earlier
times, nearly every Assamese household boasted of a loom, on which the women
would weave cotton and silk cloth for their families. I was surprised to learn
that the entire process of silk-weaving, from rearing of silk worms to weaving
the final product, is done at home. Muga silk, commonly known as ‘golden silk’,
is obtained from the domesticated Antheraea assamensis silkworms, which feed on
the host plants cultivated at home. The rearing of silk worms, Sericulture, is
a laborious process. Muga is reared in open air and thus, has to be protected
from birds and bats. The tiny worms after hatching from the moth eggs, feed
voraciously on the leaves and are later collected to be put on bundles of dry leafy
twigs to enable them to spin cocoons. Unwinding
of cocoons involves killing the pupae inside the cocoons by drying them
in the sun or heating them in a special chamber. After drying, the muga cocoons
are cooked in an alkaline solution of soda ash to soften the natural gum. This
is followed by reeling of the cocoons , after which the muga threads are dried
in the shade for about 4 days. Finally, they are wound on the skeins of looms, ready for weaving.
Most designs on muga are based on common flowers,
plants and birds arranged in geometrical pattern. More traditional patterns are
based on scenes from the Ramayana and from Lord Krishna’s life.
Muga silk is extremely durable and lasting. The silk
strands do not lose their strength over time. In fact, the garments usually
outlive their owners! I happen to be in possession of a piece of muga cloth
which was woven by my great grandmother on her own loom. Even the silk worms
were reared in her own backyard. Moreover, this particular type of silk, is
quite expensive and valued above gold in some cases. Thus, muga silk is
considered an heirloom in Assamese families, handed from one generation to the
next.
