Bhagalpur Tassar Silk Weaving Bhagalpuri Silk GI

Bhagalpur district is India's principal silk city, home to the Bhagalpuri silk (Tussar silk) weaving tradition where an estimated 35,000 weaving families produce the district's characteristic dupion and tassar silk fabric with the natural slub texture that distinguishes authentic Bhagalpur silk from smooth Chinese silk imitations. Bhagalpur Silk has Geographical Indication status and the district's weavers — primarily Muslim Ansari and Hindu Tanti communities — work on handlooms and power looms to produce saris, dress materials, and furnishing fabrics that are sold across India and exported to the Gulf, Europe, and the US. The tassar silkworm (Antheraea mylitta) is reared on arjun and asan trees in Jharkhand's tribal forests, and the raw cocoon supply chain from Jharkhand tribals to Bhagalpur weavers is a critical inter-state economic linkage.