Silk, one of the oldest known fibre. The different types of raw silk available in
India are:
Mulberry silk
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Also known as the commercial silk comes from the silk worm Bombyx mori which feeds
on the mulberry plant. In India, the major mulberry silk producing states are Karnataka,
Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Jammu & Kashmir.
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Tasar silk
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This is a copperish colored silk. It is coarse and is used mainly for furnishings.
It is produced by the silkworm Antheraea mylitta , which mainly thrives on the plants
Asan and Arjun. It is reared on trees in the open. |
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Muga Silk
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The pride of Assam, this is a golden yellow colored silk that is produced in Assam.
It is obtained from semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, Antheraea assamensis.
These silkworms feed on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants. The muga silk,
an high value product is used in products like sarees, mekhalas, chaddars etc |
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Eri silk
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This is got from the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly
on castor leaves. The eri cocoons are open-mouthed.
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