— PHOTO: RITU RAJ KONWAR

BOWLED OVER: Maria Bassolos De Conde, wife of Spanish Ambassador to India Rafael Conde De Saro, buys a saree made of ``Muga Silk'' during their visit to Sualkuchi silk village near Guwahati, on Sunday.

Sualkuchi (Assam): Maria Bassols De Conde was fascinated when she saw Assamese weavers weaving the golden thread — Muga silk — on traditional handlooms of Akhil Baishya of this silk village on Sunday. She was overjoyed when her husband Rafael De Conde De Saro, Ambassador of Spain in India, bought her a Muga silk sari.

"It is fascinating. I will wear it in Spain," Ms. Maria told The Hindu at the Deepsikha Handloom, a retail outlet selling traditional Assamese silk items where the Spanish envoy and his wife did some quick shopping.

Owner of Deepsikha Handloom Dinesh Baishya did not forget to extend hospitality in the traditional Assamese way by gifting Gamocha (traditional Assamese towel) to the Ambassador and his wife, who were the first customers of the day.

The De Conde couple, on a private three-day visit to Assam, admired the weaving skill of Assamese women whom they had come across at looms. Ms. Maria was surprised to know that one of the weavers, Kabita Baishya, had learnt to weave only 20 days back.

"She is already an expert!," said the envoy's wife when Ms. Kabita displayed a part of the traditional Assamese Muga chador that she had been weaving.

Cruise on Brahmaputra

The De Conde couple also enjoyed a cruise on the Brahmaputra before they started for the silk village.

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