Muga, Assam’s very own Golden Yarn, known for its extreme durability and natural yellowish-golden tint, was once reserved only for royalty. In fact, it is often compared, especially nowadays, to being as expensive as buying gold.
In ‘Arthasashtra’ by Kautilya, there is mention of Kamrupa or modern-day Assam, as land of cocoon rearers and Muga silk as Dakula. The traditional silk industry is said to have been at its peak in the regime of Ahom rulers during 13th to early 19th century AD. The golden age can be traced to the period between 1228-1828 during the reign of the Ahom rulers. The Ahom rulers patronized the growth of Muga Silk as an industry. They had decreed that all the higher officials of the kingdom were to adorn only clothes made from Muga Silk. Many of the looms of Muga Silk were under the royal supervision and were known as Rajaghoria looms. However, it suffered a huge setback during British colonial regime due to predatory trade policy and introduction of machine woven synthetic imitation fabrics. Strange, but so similar to what is happening in the present … MUGA was reserved only for use by the royal families. Muga Silk is a protected Geographical Indication (GI) to Assam. In 2007, Muga Silk from Assam was given the registration as the Geographical Indication (GI) of Assam, under the rules of Intellectual Property Rights.
Known for its durability and lustre, Muga silk owns the top position where demand is concerned. After every wash (yes, it can be hand-washed) the lustre increases, because of which it is mostly used in products like saris and traditional Assamese mekhala-chador.
Traditional motifs that are used on the fabric includes Jappi (the typical Assami topi), Miri Gos Butta (a pattern of miniature tree motifs) and Kabutar (pigeons). These motifs are always geometrical in shape and have not changed over the years. Pure zari work, called Guna zari, is also found on the fabric, giving it a very royal, classy feel.
Primarily, the bulk of the Muga Silk cultivation takes place in the West Garo hills of Assam and a little bit is also done in the West Khasi hills of Assam which are the only homes to the silkworms – Som and Soalu, which generate the Muga Silk thread.
Typically, in the Garo hill region, a Muga silk farmer needs to have access to at least 1 acre of land through which he can cultivate about 400 grams of Muga silk at a go.
An interesting equation to note is that it takes about 1000 cocoons to generate 125 grams of Silk and around 1000 grams of Silk is needed for a sari. This roughly translates to … it takes 6000-8000 cocoons to make 1kg of Yarn by hand. A professional reeler can take out 120gm to 140gms of hand spun yarn in a day. It takes 8 to 9 working days to get 1 kg of finest Muga hand spun yarn. Over and above, the time taken to make one single sari is about two months; right from rearing the silkworm to the finished product. The weaving process of the Muga silk sari alone takes up one week to ten days to complete. For your information … One Kg of (RAW, unfinished) Muga silk (Muga on Warp and Muga on Weft) costs Rs.24000 – Rs 27000/- today (May 2024) … this is as per the SERICULTURAL STATISTICS REPORT of INDIA, Source: Central Silk Board, Bengaluru This is where the TOS MUGA variety comes in ... the Muga is mixed with Tussar, to bring down the price of the Saris ... these are definitely far cheaper than the Real Muga saris.
Maintenance: Muga Silk fabrics can be washed at home, in cold water, gently, with a mild detergent, preferably a liquid detergent. As I have always maintained, the best way to wash your Natural Yarns is at home, either with Ritha (Soap Nut) or any soft/sensitive liquid detergent … it is a misnomer that giving these to a laundry is a better idea. Think logically… no business can be more bothered/ interested in your precious possessions than you … all those tall promises are just an eyewash and they probably use far more inferior quality detergents or maybe even chemicals, for which they present you with exorbitant bills.
