South Indian mulberry silk is well known all over India. The entire output of mulberry silk in India is woven in the three southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Mulberry is considered as the queen of natural fabrics.
The silk which is produced in South India is merely two-thirds of the demand. The most popular varieties still continue to be the native Mysore races. The weaving of Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) silk saree is a 150-year old tradition that has come to represent an art collectible more than mere clothing. Embroidery or crystal decorations are made to the silk, or even in cotton and silk-polyster versions for the lower end of the market.
The pallu of these sarees woven in South India carry designs of temple towers, palanquins, elephants, birds and creeping lotuses. Now, the export of these silk sareers woven in South India is increasing every year by earning some crores of rupees as foreign exchange.
