The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Jharkhand silks rustle at Vanya Silk Shoppe

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Jharkhand silks rustle at Vanya Silk Shoppe

Staff Reporter

Shoppe has been allotted to Jharcraft on a six-month basis

‘Purpose of setting up the shoppe is to popularise the vanya varieties of silk’

‘It will also provide a platform for handloom weavers to exhibit and sell their products’

— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Choices aplenty: Visitors at the Vanya Silk Shoppe in Bangalore on Thursday.

Bangalore: Silk lovers can now buy a variety of silks such as tussar, eri and muga woven by tribal women from Jharkhand. To promote these varieties of “vanya” silk, which are organic and eco-friendly, the Central Silk Board has set up a branded “Vanya Silk Shoppe” in the city.

Chairperson of the Central Silk Board H. Hanumanthappa, who on Thursday inaugurated the shoppe allotted on a six-month contract to Jharcraft, said the shoppe has been set up under the Vanya Silk Market Promotion Cell. “This is the first such shop to be set up in the southern region. Two such shops have been set up in Delhi. We are planning to set up more such shops and also franchise it to dealers in Karnataka because we want to promote vanya silk in a big way,” Mr. Hanumanthappa said.

These wild silk varieties, which are part of non-mulberry silks, are grown mainly in the north-eastern States and the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal. These forest varieties are collected by tribal people, whose livelihood depends on silk rearing. The shoppe provides a direct link to market the vanya silk products, he said.

Brand

Member-Secretary of Central Silk Board M. Sathiyavathy explained that the board had branded these wild varieties of silk as vanya silks because of their distinctive features.

The muga variety of vanya silk comes in different shades of natural gold. It derives its name from Muga silkworms which feed on Som and Sualu leaves in Assam and Cooch Behar in West Bengal. Muga is the most expensive silk in the world as the raw muga silk comes at Rs. 6,000 a kg as against Rs. 1,500 for normal (mulberry-variety) silk.

The eri variety is known for its high warmth retention capacity which makes these clothes comfortable in cooler climates. Eri silkworms survive mainly on castor leaves.

The tussar varieties are highly textured and have a wide range of natural shades like off-white to beige, grey and brown.

Ms. Sathiyavathy said the main purpose of setting up the shoppe was to popularise the vanya varieties of silk and provide a platform for small manufacturers, handloom weavers, tribal artisans and retail traders to exhibit and sell their products.

Shops are being allotted to selected groups on a six-month basis at a nominal rent. It has been let out to Jharcraft now.

Earlier, it was rented out to Ramakrishna Udyog from Maharashtra,” another official said.

Director (Finance) of Central Silk Board P.B. Leela was present.

The shoppee is located on the premises of the BPCL petrol pump, No. 61/1, 8th Main, 18th Cross, Malleswaram.

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