Golden Threads of Tradition: The Endurance And Evolution of Muga Culture And Silk Weaving in Assam

Abstract

Muga culture is an age old traditional practice sustaining amidst the rural folk of Assam since time immemorial. It involves lot of traditional practices and beliefs over the time and many of the time these traditional practices have proved to be successful and sustainable. Muga silk is a product of the silkworm, Antheraea assamensis Helfer is endemic to Assam province. Assam is known for creating intricate designs in handlooms and holds first position in the country with 11,11,577 number of handlooms and has 16,43,453 handloom weavers. Sualkuchi is the textile centre of Assam. At present, this golden yellow thread has evolved from a tradition to a trend. The muga silk holds monopoly in the world and has been a sector of research and development recently due to its immense potentiality to provide opportunities for national and international revenue.