The making of silk

Fabric Splendour

The six-yard silken wonder has never ceased to amaze and capture the imagination of women. An exhibition of silk sarees organised by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation Limited, Mysore Silk Sarees- Cocoon to Fabric at Basava Bhavana, Basaveshwara Circle not only sought to popularise silk sarees but also strove to educate people about the process of how a cocoon is transformed in silk.

The expo was a mix of all kinds of sarees, some which were more than 40 years old. The sarees were part of the KSIC’s Vintage Mysore Silk Saree contest-2009.  The contest which was arranged to create awareness about the traditional value of silk products received more than hundred vintage sarees from across the State. Out of this, three made it to the finals and won prizes.

Uma Srikrishna, a resident of Chandavarkar Layout who won first prize for her beautifully paneled heavy border saree which she bought in 1950s says, “I have worn this saree many a time but it has stood the test of time. And I continue to wear it on all occasions.” Visitors were also given a peek into the process of how a cocoon was made and developed into silk.

Sankappa Gol, Department Assistant in KSIC took time off to explain the process. He pointed out that the whole process of silk making starts with drying the cocoon.“Once we buy cocoons from the market we sort them according to their quality and separate the high quality cocoons. These are later dried in hot air to remove the moisture which makes them fit for long storage. Then we soften the cocoons by boiling them in water. We reel them in reeling machines and extract the yarn from them. After removing residual gum, if any in the yarn, it is ready for silk weaving,”  he explains.  People who love just about anything in silk averred that they were enlightened a wee bit more on how their favourite garment was made.

 “I learnt a lot about the traditional Mysore silk. I adore this product for its light weight, purity and folding comfort. After knowing its manufacturing details my love and respect for this saree has doubled,” says Padma Vasanti, popular actress. The expo will be on till January 7.