Silk & Sensibility

Weaving a cultural renaissance in Assam's looms.

- By RADHIKA BORUAH

In the lexicon of luxury, Assam's silks are sui generis. To drape oneself in the natural aureate glow of Muga is to wear sunlight distilled into fabric. Pat shimmers like moonlight caught on water, while Eri, the silk of peace, offers a tactile sprezzatura. Together, they form woven philosophies from Assam that outlast seasons, empires, and even fashion itself. This quiet grandeur is built on the humble taatxaal, the handloom that anchors almost every household in the weaving belts of Assam.

Sualkuchi, also known as Assam's “Silk Village”, is where the threads of gold, ivory, and russet are coaxed into fabrics that carry generations of heritage. Some families in this village have woven for centuries, with the craft evolving through times of prosperity and survival, world wars, shifting markets, and ambitions. Then there are the women of Sualkuchi, who stand as guardians of a tradition as fragile as silk and as enduring as heritage itself.

"When I set up my loom, I feel my ancestors are standing beside me," shares Jamuna, a 63-year-old weaver from Sualkuchi. “Sometimes I see my granddaughter watching from the doorway, her curiosity is almost like a promise.” Pratima, a loom owner in Sualkuchi, has spent over three decades training new weavers and creating livelihoods for women in her community. She recalls learning from her grandmother— nimble fingers mimicking centuries-old gestures. "Weaving," she shares, "is how we speak without words. It's our story, our pride, our prayer for the future."