Paat or Pat silk is produced by silkworms which feed on mulberry leaves. It is usually brilliant white or off-white in colour. There is an unmistakeable sheen in Pat silk. A product of pat silkworm, this variety of silk is also called mulberry silk as the larvae prefers white mulberry leaves for food. The silk comes in natural white or off-white, has excellent durability and is known for its glossy quality.
Pat in Eastern India, Pattu in Southern India, and Resham in Hindi and Urdu, Silk has a variety of names across the Indian subcontinent.
ERI silk is made by “Philosamia ricini” which feed on castor leaves. It is also known as Endi or Erandi silk. The manufacturing process of Eri allows the pupae to develop into adults and only the open-ended cocoons are used for turning into silk, also popularly known as non-violent silk. This silk is soft and warm and is popular as shawls and quilts.
The texture of the fabric is coarse, fine, and dense. It is very strong, durable, and elastic. Eri silk is darker and heavier than other silks and blends well with wools and cottons. Due to its thermal properties, it is warm in winter and cool in summer. It is a very long process which takes around 45 days in total. The growth of the worm itself takes 30 days during which it continuously eats the castor leaves from the trees in the villages.
Once the final size is attained the worms start to spin their cocoons. This takes another 15 days. Eri silk, also called Ahimsa silk, or Peace silk is a non-violent silk which does not require to kill the moth to extract the fibre. The moth leaves the cocoon after spinning and flies off. For this reason, Eri silk is the preferred material of Buddhists and Vegans.
However, the shorter fibres of Eri silk make it less durable. It is indeed one of the softest and purest forms of Silk which is fancied by almost all the Silk lovers and is a staple in every fashionista’s wardrobe. The silkworms give the Eri Silk a dull yellow, gold like sheen. Eri silk has excellent qualities: it is very strong, combining the elegance of silk with the comfort of cotton and the warmth of wool. The more it is worn, the softer it gets and it is a great textile to be worn all year round.
