Mysore silk

Karnataka produces 9,000 metric tons of mulberry silk of a total of 14,000 metric tons produced in the country, thus contributing to nearly 70% of the country's total mulberry silk. In Karnataka, silk is mainly grown in the Mysore district.

History

The growth of the silk industry in the Kingdom of Mysore was first initiated during the reign of Tipu Sultan. Later it was hit by a global depression, and competition from imported silk and rayon. In the second half of the 20th century, it revived and the Mysore State became the top multivoltine silk producer in India. The story, how sericulture took roots in these parts lay buried deep in history, relics sparse. What toils, earnest and selfless efforts have gone into its making? Not much is known about this. Prof Simon Charsley in his book 'Cultre and sericulture' had made pioneering efforts in delineating the cultural history of sericulture in Mysore. An excerpt from a revealing interview conducted by Simon Charsley with K.V. Achuthan Nair (DD Seric Rtd, Department of Sericulture, Karnataka) is available here.

See also

• Mommes, the traditional density unit for silk.
• Rayon
• Art silk
• Silk Road
• Spider silk (with a discussion of synthetic silk)
• Tenun Pahang Diraja, famous woven silk fabric of Pahang, Malaysia.
• Silk in the Indian subcontinent
• History of silk
• Silk worm
• Silk

Image gallery

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  Mysore Silk Saree

External links

• Mysore city - includes info on silk production.
• Mysore sights - also lists the silk factory.
• Charsley Simon Interview with a veteran sericulture expert from Mysore