Dibrugarh Eri Silk Muga Weaving Upper Assam

Dibrugarh district in Upper Assam is part of the silk-weaving heartland of Assam where women from Ahom, Mishing, and Koch communities weave on traditional frame looms using the three indigenous silks of Assam: muga silk (golden-coloured, from Antheraea assamensis silkworm fed on som tree leaves), eri silk (ivory, from Samia cynthia ricini silkworm fed on castor leaves), and pat silk (creamy white, from Bombyx mori). Muga silk is exclusive to Assam and holds a GI tag; its natural golden lustre deepens with washing, making it a prestige fabric for gamosa (ceremonial towel) and mekhela chador (Assamese women's two-piece dress) worn at Bihu. Eri silk is produced in a spun-silk process rather than continuous filament reeling, as the eri silkworm exits the cocoon alive in the Ahimsa (non-violence) sericulture tradition before spinning. Dibrugarh's Naharkatia and Duliajan weaving villages host the largest concentration of eri silk handloom weavers in Upper Assam. Assam Silk Industry Development Corporation provides silkworm seed and technical assistance to weavers through cooperative extension.