For years, as a child, I have stood behind my mother, impatient, footsore and sulky while my mother spent hour after hour pouring over one silk sari after another, in silk shops smelling of incense stick and betel nuts, which the Assamese women chewed incessantly. Some saris had a bad border, some were too gaudy and there were others which appeared to have too much of ‘mix’ involved. The one thing common between all of them, however, was that they were all golden in colour.
The colours were not the cheap yellow of my sweeper’s fake gold ornaments or the gaudy hues of synthetic blouses which stare back at you from the shelves of tiny street shops. It was the rich yellow ochre of pure liquid gold, and my eyes would linger over its sensuous lustre despite my childish impatience, and marvel at its shining surface which would reflect light at different angles. Then an end pf the sari would brush past my cheek and feel unusually coarse and rough instead of soft and supple. This would reinforce my poor opinion of silk and I would return to tugging at my mother’s clothes and pouting to make her hurry.
The years went by and I came to know that this fabric was called ‘muga’. I also heard the word ‘expensive’ always mentioned every time a woman talked of muga with a sparkle in her eyes, so I came to the conclusion that muga cost a lot. It was probably another one of those things which my mother had in plenty, made no use of, yet insisted on buying every time she saw it.
I’ve gleaned knowledge of this wondrous fabric from various quarters over the years and what I’ve learnt about it have turned me into a raving fan. Here’s what I know about it.
Muga silk is native to Assam and has been an integral part of its cultural heritage since the thirteenth century (that’s more than 800 years). Muga’s golden sheen made it appear royal. The Ahom kings ensured that muga was reserved only for royalty in order to appear more powerful and kingly. Its sensuous lustre and natural golden shade made its wearer appear as though he were sheathed in pure gold. However, the recent corruption of Muga’s purity has reduced the sheath to mere gold plating.
And now, a tiny peek into what Muga is for all those of you wondering what I’ve been talking about in the paragraph above. Those of you rolling your eyeballs at this short detour of mine may please forgive me and go about watering the lawn or humming a tune while I give a short brief on Muga to the laymen.
Muga is obtained from a semi domesticated silk worm called Aantheraea asamenisis. This worm is a native of Assam and is not found anywhere else in the world. It’s a fact which much pleases these worms as they placidly go about their business chewing on the barks of the Som and Soalu plants. They are collected in their larval stage when they march down the tree trunks swollen with self importance.
Muga silk itself is a raw silk and thus has a papery texture. It has a very low affinity towards dyes and is generally left uncoloured. Muga has a natural golden lustre and “looks just like gold”, as explained by Nina, a resident of Assam. If good old Ian Fleming’s gold obsessed villain Goldfinger had known about Muga he’d have probably dressed his female victims in Muga mekhalas, instead of covering them with gold paint*. This would at least have allowed them to remain covered.
Muga also has a peculiar quality of appearing more lustrous after every wash. It is an extremely durable fabric and has been even known to outlive its owners sometimes. It is the second costliest material after Pashmina shawls. Muga mekhalas are thus prized possessions in every Assamese household and are handed down generations as heirlooms. Weaving silk is such an integral part of this state’s culture that almost every household possesses a handloom and a girl in Assam is considered unfit for marriage if she cannot weave. Traditionally, a girl would weave her own marriage mekhala and strive to fill it lovingly with the most attractive and intricate designs she could think of.
The cost of pure Muga is about Rs. 500 per meter. The cost of other silks such as Pat silk is Rs. 250 to Rs. 300 per meter. The price of impure Muga, which has been mixed with Pat can come down to Rs. 450 or less. Mixed silk is a big menace in the silk industry in Assam. Watered down versions of the once regal Muga silk have now flooded the market. People tend to compromise over quality and buy them because of their slightly less expensive price tag. Sometimes fabric blending is practiced to increase the versatility of the fabric. For example, Muga shawls may require blending with cotton for increasing warmth and softness of the fabric. Certain blending lends an interesting texture to the Muga fabric. Mixed fabric is not always purchased by people primarily keeping the price factor in mind. Sometimes people buy it when they find the mixed fabric prettier than pure muga. Mixed Muga is sometimes more lustrous and attractive than pure Muga.
The buying and selling of blended fabrics for practical purposes is understandable since it is necessary to increase its versatility and survive in the market. The problem arises when Muga mixed with cheaper silks or other fabrics is either sold as pure Muga or is knowingly purchased by people who are ready to compromise on the quality for a cheaper price. Such problems generally arise on account of unscrupulous silk merchandisers and the low economic situations of the weavers. The latter seldom receive the credit which is due to them for keeping our heritage alive. Since, we cannot do much about rogue shopkeepers who thrive on the concept of ‘milaavat’ perhaps buying silks from certified Government outlets for handlooms is a better option. The living condition of the weavers can be improved and they can be ensured a constant supply of silk. This could keep them from resorting to the use of unscrupulous means for earning a decent standard of living for them. Muga silk is a priceless treasure which needs to be protected before it dies out and enters the pages of history books. It is our responsibility to stop the buying and selling of impure Muga in order to keep the essence of the real craft alive. Our revered heritage is far more priceless than the profits earned through the sale of its fake copies.
Lustrous and divine, inexplicable and mysterious, muga silk fulfils every woman’s dream of appearing striking and singular. Its sensuous charm makes me sometimes feel that it belongs to the kingdom of dreams. I no longer blame my mother for the sore feet and long hours in silk shops. She taught me to love a dream………..a dream woven from a sunbeam.
*Ian Fleming, Goldfinger
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