Indian Silk Fabric :
India is the second largest producer of silk after China and the largest consumer of silk in the world. As per the 2001-02 records, India produced 17550 MT of silk.
Types of Silk Fabric :
There are innumerable varieties of silk moths, but only four main types of commercially valuable natural silk:
*Mulberry silk
* Tasar silk : 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.
* Muga silk : This is a golden yellow colored silk that is produced in Assam. It is obtained from the semi-domesticated silkworm, Antheraea assamensis which feeds on the aromatic leaves of Som and Soalu plants.
* Eri silk : This is got from the domesticated silkworm, Philosamia ricini that feeds mainly on castor leaves. The eri cocoons are open-mouthed.
In India, mulberry silk is produced in many states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu & Kashmir and West Bengal. The other types of silk are produced in Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Orissa and the north-eastern states.
There are a wide variety of silk textiles made from these four kinds of natural silk. These may be handwoven or woven in power looms. In the mulberry silk variety, some of these silk fabrics are:
* Plain silk : This variety of silk textile may be produced on both the hand loom and the powerloom. Available in various shades and patterns, and an entire range of qualities.
* Organza : This is a very thin silk cloth that is made of highly twisted yarn.
* Crepe : This silk textile is woven from‘s' and ‘z' twisted yarn. The crepe sarees of Mysore are very beautiful.
* Satin : An extremely elegant type of mulberry silk fabric. Banarasi satin sarees are very popular.
* Matka silk : A thick kind of silk fabric, used for furnishing. By varying the amount of yarn used, the texture and thickness may be modified. It is produced in Bhagalpur in India.
* Murshidabad silk : Produced in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, this type of silk cloth is used to make sarees and scarves. It is available in varying qualities.
* Dupion : This type of Indian silk fabric, is a specialty of the handlooms in Bangalore, India. It is available in a number of shades; and used for both garments as well as soft furnishings.
* Charka silk : This is a thick variety of silk from India that is used to make zari sarees. It is woven on a handloom.
* Chiffon : A very soft and light variety of silk fabric, it is made of highly twisted yarn that is woven on a power loom. It is a very thin, but strong fabric.
* Chinnon : This is a very soft and crimped silk textile. It is woven of twisted yarn on a power loom.
Tabby silk : This variety is produced in Kashmir and is used to make sarees and scarves.
Silk fabrics
