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Pure Silk Making: Silk sarees and shawls are very much liked but have you ever wondered how they are made? Making pure silk is a long and complex task, let us understand the whole story behind it.
Jamshedpur. Pure silk – the epitome of shine, softness and elegance – is actually the result of a short, golden journey. When the custard apple leaves swaying in the gentle breeze in the fields reach the silkworms, the story of a fine thread begins. These insects, which grow on the leaves of custard apple, wrap themselves in a cocoon made of dark threads within a few days and the same cocoon later gets adorned all over the world in the form of shawls, sarees and suits.
Not as easy as it sounds
According to silk maker Jagdish, this method is not as easy as it looks. It needs to be observed carefully and understood skillfully. Insects reared with correct temperature, cleanliness and nutritious food leave good cocoons, while removing the cocoon at the right time or ignoring it affects many qualities.
To soften the outer layer of the cocoon, it is kept in lukewarm water, so that the fine silk thread can be carefully removed like a mouse. This work called reeling is done by both manual and machine methods, but any kind of carelessness can lead to the thread breaking and reducing the quality.
This is how silk is made
By joining the thin threads extracted, a strong and shiny thread is prepared. After that it is strengthened by bending and pressing and is colored as per requirement. The colors of silk look deeper and brighter than other fabrics, hence the dyeing stage also plays an important role in the beauty of silk fabrics.
Finally, those threads are woven by hand or on the fiber looms of factories to prepare special types of clothes – like Mulberi, Tasar, Eri and Banarasi, which are always in demand during festivals and weddings.
One gets prepared through hard work as a laborer
In this entire chain, people’s hard work and old knowledge is involved at every step. From small farmers to reeling laborers and weavers – everyone’s contribution remains hidden in the beauty of the saree or shawl we wear. So the next time you touch a silk fabric or smile at its smoothness, remember that it is not just a fabric, but the story of countless hands – a living journey from cocoon to fabric.
