Silk route
Smallscale entrepreneurs like Gopal Soren from Raina village have found a quick and easy method to earn some money. Soren and 3 of his friends lease out 6 acres of asna (Terminalia tomentosa) or arjuna (Terminalia atiuna) forest from the government and set about producing tassar cocoons. Each of them makes an initial investment of Rs 800 every year. Three months and very little effort later, they are richer by Its 6,000 from selling the tassar cocoons.
Four major types of silk are commercially produced in India - Mulberry, the shiny and creamy white silk from Bombax mori insects; muga, a gold-coloured silk allied to tassar obtained from the Antherea assama insects which feed on the leaves of Machailuis odoratissima and Tetranthera monopetala; eri, a creamy white but not so shiny silk comes from Attacus ricini insects, which feed on castor seeds, and tassar, the "golden fibre", a coloured silk generated by Anthrea mylitta, which feed on ariona, asna and sal (Shorea robusta).
While eri, mulberry and muga silkworms are completely or partially domesticated and have to be fed and reared indoors, tassar-producing insects are wild and have to be left in the open where they feed at will and form cocoons.
Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh account for over 98 per cefit of the annual production of tassar silk in India. It is an important agrobased industry which provides income to millions. In Mayurbhanj district in Orissa, more than 12,000 tribals are engaged in rearing silkworms, and many more arq employed in yarn and fabric production.
Moths emerge from the cocoons practically throughout the year. The eggs hatch in 8 or 9 days and start spinning cocoons in about 30 days in summer and 60 days in winter. The cocoons are spun completely in 4 or 5 days, and then collected. August to December is the best period for cocoon collection for superior quality silk.