Copyright timesnownews
Bihar is casting their ballots in the first phase of the Assembly election today. And it’s safe to say that fashion plays an integral role in politics. Bhagalpur, a city located on the banks of the sacred Ganga river in Bihar, is known as the "Silk City" of India. The weaving tradition of this city was recognised when Bhagalpuri silk received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2013. “The eponymous wild tussar silk fabric, typically dyed in bright red, blue, pink or orange, is characterised by patterned stripes and checks of varying densities. Bhagalpur is a significant tussar weaving centre and is known to be home to over thirty thousand dyers, spinners and weavers,” states MAP Academy. One feature that distinguishes Bhagalpuri silk is that the fabric is thick and slightly coarse, and is woven from a flat yarn. This is spun from the cocoons of the tussar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta. The Bhagalpuri silk saree is one of the most famous products of the region, and it is even heavier than the fabric that uses the extra weft threads to decorate its pallu. “Historically, the Bhagalpuri tussar, used primarily to make stoles and home furnishings for the domestic market, was much sought after internationally. During the British Raj in the nineteenth century, these silks and silk products were exported, especially to Europe, at a high price that they readily commanded,” states MAP Academy. Bhagalpuri silk continues to have its patrons. Last year, Nita Ambani, chairperson and founder of the Reliance Foundation, wore an exquisite Bhagalpuri silk saree during the anniversary celebration of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Fashion designer Samant Chauhan, who hails from Bhagalpur, has also been working towards the cause of promoting Bhagalpuri silks. “I am from Bhagalpur, so I feel a responsibility towards that craft. It takes a lot of time to develop and then hone a craft, so our generation should be responsible for preserving and taking it forward. I don’t look at trends at all and therefore I did only whites for many years. The idea was to make something that was classic and timeless and can be worn again and again, and that’s our style of fashion,” Chauhan said in an interview with The Telegraph India. In fact, he joined the green movement with his Spring 2008 collection, which was crafted using raw Bhagalpur silk, linen, and cotton-linen blends. He promotes the use of ‘non-violent silk’, emphasising that traditional silk production kills silkworms. However, it has not been easy for the silk industry in Bhagalpur. “Five years ago, there were about two lakh weavers in Bhagalpur; now there are 60,000. Soaring yarn prices have dwindled the business from ₹600 crore per annum in 2015 to its current ₹150 crore,” said Javed Saleh Ansari, chairperson of the Bhagalpur Regional Handloom Weavers’ Co-operative Union, in a report published by The Hindu in 2024, titled In Bihar’s Bhagalpur, weavers face a silk slub.
