Categories
About Muga Silk of Assam
By Assam on November 4, 2007
A silk from Assam that shines like Gold! Muga silk is a wonderful gift of nature extracted from a species of insect not to be found any where in the world except in the North Eastern region of India. Muga Silk is the pride of Assam.
Muga is obtained from semi domesticated silk worm called Aantheraea asamenisis. Antheraea assamensis are raised outdoors primarily on two trees - Som (Machilus bombycina) and Soalu (Litsaea Polyantha). The caterpillars are placed on a tree and when they have stripped the tree of foliage, the caterpillars will make a mass exit down the trunk. They are collected by the keepers and placed on another tree. When ready to spin their cocoons, these caterpillars once again exit the tree where they were feeding.
This behavior allows the keepers to collect and control the caterpillars. Each caterpillar is placed into a container made of dried twigs. The peduncle (silk that anchors the cocoon) is very weak; the caterpillars prefer a low place with numerous twigs to protect them while in their cocoons. The silk is called muga, the Assamese word for the rich amber colour of the cocoon. The muga cocoon has a very weak peduncle and is golden yellow. The cocoons are boiled in soap and soda solution and are reeled in reeling machine.
Chemically speaking Muga, is made of proteins secreted in the fluid state by a caterpillar, popularly known as silkworm. These silkworms feed on the selected food plants and spin cocoons as a protective shell to perpetuate the life. Silkworm has four stages in its life cycle viz. egg, caterpillar, pupa and moth. Man interferes this life cycle at the cocoon stage to obtain the silk a continuous filament of commercial importance used in weaving of the dream fabric.
Readers Comments
Assam »
Three Bomb Blasts in Guwahati
January 1, 2009
At least 5 people were killed and more than 50 injured in three bomb blasts that rocked Assam’s capital city Guwahati today. The bombs went off just a few hours before Union Home Minister P Chidambaram landed in the city. According to police sources, no one has taken responsibility for the blasts. But police sources [...]
Hollywood »
John Travolta’s Son Jett dies At 16
January 2, 2009
Hollywood superstar John Travolta’s teenage son, Jett, died on Friday during a family vacation in the Bahamas. According to Police sources, the teenage boy became ill and hit his head on the bathtub. The actor’s lawyer, Michael Ossi, said Jett Travolta, 16, had a history of seizures and suffered one on Friday morning. Every attempts [...]
News »
India-Pakistan exchanges lists of Nuclear installations
January 1, 2009
India and Pakistan today, exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and facilities covered under the Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between both the countries. The exchange was done through diplomatic channels, simultaneously at New Delhi and Islamabad.
India handed over its list to Pakistan High Commission officials at the External [...]
Technology »
Air New Zealand conducts first biofuel test flight
December 30, 2008
On Tuedsay, Air New Zealand created a new aviation history by successfully conducting the world’s first ever commercial aviation test flight powered by fuel from the seeds of the African jatropha plant. A biofuel blend of 50-50 jatropha and Jet A1 fuel was used to power one of the airline’s Boeing 747-400’s Rolls-Royce engines.
“It is [...]
Health and Fitness »
Premature babies are less sensitive to hot and cold
December 27, 2008
Premature babies who need intensive care or surgery are less sensitive to hot and cold sensations later in life, suggests a new study published in journal Pain. The research conducted by University College London (UCL) suggested that pain and injury related to major medical interventions in early development may alter how children respond to painful [...]
Science »
Chandrayaan finds iron reserves on Moon
December 29, 2008
An experiment on board India’s first moon mission Chandrayaan-I has indicated that there are abundant iron containing minerals on the lunar surface. According to news reports, data sent back to earth by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) indicates abundance of iron-bearing minerals such as [...]
we would like to know about the business oppurtunities of muga in northeast.