Sualkuchi operates 12,000 handlooms, producing round 3 lakh sq m of silk cloth a 12 months, and stays untouched by the clatter of machinesIn 1946, when Mahatma Gandhi set foot in Sualkuchi, a picturesque village nestled alongside the Brahmaputra close to Guwahati, he was spellbound by the artistry of the native weavers, notably the ladies. Their looms appeared to weave not simply silk, however goals, he felt. His phrases — “Assamese girls weave goals on their looms”, have lingered just like the rustle of silk ever since.Almost eight a long time later, these looms are nonetheless buzzing. Sualkuchi stays one of many uncommon locations in India the place handlooms, not machines, dictate the rhythm of day by day life.
Defying the commercial revolutionWhereas many historic silk weaving centres throughout India have succumbed to the lure of energy looms for financial acquire, Sualkuchi, positioned 35km from Guwahati, stays a bastion of handloom custom. This steadfast dedication to authenticity is a bequest of the village’s dedication to preserving its cultural heritage. Regardless of govt’s push for mechanisation in locations like Varanasi and Kancheepuram, Sualkuchi’s weavers, supported by their neighborhood and dependable prospects, have resisted, making certain that the artistry of handwoven Muga and Pat silk stays untouched by the clatter of machines.This village, with roughly 50,000 individuals, produces three beautiful forms of Assam silk — the golden Muga, the nice and cozy Eri, and the lustrous Pat — every derived from completely different silkworms. Inside its 8 sq km, 12,000 handlooms work tirelessly, producing round 3 lakh sq m of silk cloth a 12 months, valued at Rs 300 crore. However past the numbers lies one thing extra fragile: a cultural id woven into each strand of yarn. This cottage trade helps practically 6,000 households, all intricately woven into the material of Sualkuchi’s id.Dr Nihar Ranjan Kalita, an adviser to the Sualkuchi Tat Silpa Unnayan Samiti and principal of SBMS (Sualkuchi Budram Madhab Satradhikar) School, explains that the village’s handloom trade thrives as a result of it’s deeply embedded within the native tradition. He says that the youthful technology, drawn by the attract of vogue and elegance, actively participates on this age-old craft, making certain its continuity. “There may be societal stress in Sualkuchi and Assam to maintain the textile trade handloombased. The neighborhood understands the beautiful worth of handloom merchandise.”In Sualkuchi, sporting a mekhela chador (Assam’s conventional two-piece garment) fabricated from Pat and Muga silk is a mark of status at weddings and festive gatherings. The village’s dedication to the handloom is so sturdy that the phrase “powerloom” is nearly taboo, seen as a risk to the originality of their textiles.Kalita, who has explored varied textile hubs throughout India, observes that whereas different centres concentrate on exports, Sualkuchi’s merchandise are cherished domestically. This native focus, coupled with govt help for semimechanisation in allied actions, helps keep the village’s handloom legacy.
Silk with a signatureThis guardianship of custom just isn’t with out wrestle. In 2013, when powerloom textiles and counterfeit materials started flooding the market, threatening to dilute Sualkuchi’s repute, villagers rose in protest. Their agitation ultimately led to the institution of the Sualkuchi Silk Testing Laboratory. In 2017, its centuries-old weaving custom earned trademark standing. Now, entrepreneurs submit their merchandise within the lab the place each piece of silk is examined, licensed, and tagged — with a QR code, a 3D hologram and the Silk Mark emblem — in the event that they meet the requirements.With a fast scan, patrons right now can confirm a garment’s authenticity, hint its cloth particulars, and even uncover the particular handloom and artisan behind the weave. The trademark seal, ‘Sualkuchi’s’, acts as each a model and a defend, defending these handcrafted treasures from counterfeiting.Throughout TOI’s go to to the lab, the staffers have been seen conducting three assessments to substantiate authenticity — burning evaluation, microscopic crosssectional examination and chemical verification. The primary check includes burning small thread samples to confirm silk content material; microscopic evaluation identifies the particular silk selection, whereas chemical testing is carried out when the primary two examinations show inconclusive.Assam is exclusive in producing all 4 recognised silk varieties in India — Muga, Eri, Mulberry, and Tussar. However it’s Muga that units Sualkuchi aside. The distinctive golden yellow silk, unique to Assam, comes from the Antheraea assamensis silkworm. It’s valued for its longevity and distinctive lustre.Eri, recognised for its even texture, is utilized in clothes and home items. Within the Mulberry class, regardless of substantial demand for the yarn, the availability of the domestically out there Nuni pat selection is inadequate. Weavers typically supply Mulberry and Tussar yarn, a current addition to the state’s silk portfolio, from Karnataka (Mulberry), Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal (Tussar).Threads of historical pastSualkuchi’s historical past dates again to the eleventh century, when King Dharma Pala of the Pala Dynasty established it as a weavers’ village by relocating 26 weaver households from Tantikuchi in Barpeta. Royal patronage turned the village right into a hub of silk weaving. In the course of the seventeenth century, underneath Ahom rule, it had grow to be Assam’s major handloom centre. For hundreds of years, its financial system thrived not simply on weaving but additionally on pottery, goldsmithing, and oil urgent — till the Nineteen Forties, when solely the looms endured.Till 1930, silk weaving was concentrated inside Tantipara’s Tanti neighborhood. World Struggle II gave Sualkuchi its greatest push, as skyrocketing demand and costs prompted a number of Tanti households to determine business weaving models with employed staff.Struggles of continuityNevertheless, challenges like rising uncooked materials prices, market instability, and restricted cocoon availability have pressed Sualkuchi’s weavers onerous. “Muga silk merchandise of Sualkuchi have been essentially the most valuable. However insufficient provide of cocoons and excessive costs of yarn have confined the variety of households producing Muga textile to about 50,” says Kalyan Kalita, an entrepreneur. “As soon as, Sualkuchi was recognized for Muga above all else. Now, few households can afford to provide them. ” The trade has seen shifts: Bodo weavers, largely girls, have returned house after peace talks, reviving conventional expertise, and expert weavers from Bengal discovered refuge in Sualkuchi post-Covid. This convergence of expertise has strengthened the village’s handloom custom.Weaver Binita Boro displays on the enduring attraction of the craft: “Handloom can not die. As a toddler, I watched my aunt weave goals right here in Sualkuchi. Now, as an grownup, I’m a part of this enchanting village.”