Tussar silk, is the desired fabric for the Indian women, and even costumes of Indian men, like Panjabi, (a loose shirt-like Indian garment),worn with Dhotis are made of tussar, frequently. In fact in Bengal, grooms wear tussar Punjabis, along with Dhoti (a kind of loin cloth) , on their wedding day.
Tussar silk sees its best expression in sari, the traditional Indian drapery for women. The unstitched cloth, having measurement-ranges from 5 yards to 12 yards, highlights on the innate beauty of the Indian women.
Tussar Silk, also called Kosa Silk , has a flawless quality and soothing texture. Kosa Silk is derived from the cocoons of the silkworms thriving on Arjun, Saja or Sal trees. The silk fabric woven from the silk threads, constituted by the protein fibres, produced by these silkworms, is endowed with natural hues. These shades are namely golden-beige, honey colour, cream, tawny-brown etc.
The original golden dazzle of the silk textile are dyed with a very harmonious colours. In the olden days, natural dyes were fetched from the biotic flora, for instance, the Kusum Flower, the attractive red pollen dust of the Rora Flower and the rich rose red from Lac. However, gradually, with time, the spectrum of shades and motifs, have expanded, considerably.
The golden shimmer on the maroon or red background, decked with Zardozi, can be a modern-day marvel, created by a deft craftsman or trained dress-designer. Zardozi, is a Persian art-form, involving intricate embroidery done with gold or silver thread, and at times with copper wire, gilded in gold. Hence, a tussar silk sari , with such a marvelous get-up, can, even ,make for a bridal wear.
Salwar-kameez , salwar-churidars, of tussar silks are in vogue among today`s Indian women, especially in the eastern part of India, like West Bengal, in Bihar , etc.
The Kharsawa district of Kuchai area of Jharkhand is the epicentre of Tussar-silk rearing in India. The sericulture is managed by the skilled tribal workforce of the region. The silks are impressed upon with traditional printings or prints of tribal dances and tribal festivals and the other features of tribal life.
At present the latest introductions in the types of Tussar silk is the Anjana and Swarnarekha silks of Jharkhand . They are the glorious testimonials of ethnicity, complemented by novelty.
The inherent richness of Tussar silks will sustain the craze for the fabric forever.
