Hi friends. This is the auspicious month of Sravana according to our Hindu calendar. It is monsoon time with steady drizzles to heavy downpours. Mother Nature revives herself from the hot summers. The climate is cool may be sultry sometimes. But the fresh greenery on the trees, green fields, colourful flowers, cool breeze, butterflies flying around, buzzing bees...in general, nature and all living being recover from the heat and dust and rejoice. The lakes and rivers are full with water. we have lilies and lotuses dancing in the waters. Hibiscuses, roses, chrysanthemums, some varieties of jasmines and so many other flowers. All in all it is pleasant and colourful.
This month is very important for us women and meant exclusively for women as we offer Pooja-special prayers to Goddess Vara Lakshmi on Fridays and Goddess Mangala Gauri on Tuesdays. This is for general well being of the family, prosperity and happiness. These are exclusively ladies only functions.
We also give and receive gifts like saris, blouse pieces, kumkum bharina-boxes for storing vermilion etc, bangles, small looking glasses, combs, turmeric, vermilion,sandal wood powder, sweets, beetle leaves and areca nuts (known as nut powder), soaked chickpeas and fruits etc.. to our near and dear ones(unmarried and married women) like sisters, sis-in-laws, mothers, ma-in-laws, other women friends, relatives and neighbours depending upon our budget. This is exclusively a Ladies only function.
I remember as children and young women me and my cousins used to go to our neighbours and relatives houses to attend these functions along with our grandmothers, mother and aunts. Though these are religious functions women are women. Each one would be assessing the others dress and jewellery. They would talk about the colour combination of the silk and brocade saris worn by them, how much it cost them (most of the time exaggerating the price..:) :) ), their jewellery, how they got it made, and other gossips about their in laws, children and life in general.
Married women visit their mothers during this period to offer this Pooja. So its quite natural that they like to catch up on every thing they left behind. We children were interested in only the sweets and savouries and fruits mostly bananas given to us and play with other children till it was time to go. We used to collect all the soaked chickpeas given to us by others as well as those left in the house after giving it our visitors and loved the spicy hot snacks made out of them by my granny.
I miss all those lovely moments enjoyed in a small villages or towns where every one knew every one else. There was a bonding even with our neighbours sharing joys, happiness and helping in difficult times. Even after shifting to cities due to our jobs or education, this trend continued till last decade or so . But celebrating in a city is much different from that in our little places. Now of course with the family members and relatives scattered in far off places, we have lost the charm of celebrations. It rather makes us reminisce beautiful moments we shared in the past.
Any way coming to the point......
It is considered as auspicious to buy something new especially gold, silver, copper etc along with new clothes for ladies and girl children. We prefer to buy or rather invest in silks and brocades as this month and in coming months it is season for marriages and other auspicious occasions like construction of new houses, house warming ceremonies starting new ventures etc.
So we women and girls do shop for cloths, jewellery etc. Here I went with my sis and some friends bought some of these.... Silk from Assam. But before that a brief intro on silk from Assam...
Assam is North East Indian State. The North East is known for its beautiful silk textiles. Three types of silks are produced depending upon the silk worms and the leaves they feed on- as we know that silk yarn is extracted from the cocoons spun by the silk worms.
- Muga silk
- Pat silk
- Eri silk
Muga Silk: is the most popular silk from Assam /North east. Its natural golden colour is the reason for its popularity. Assam is the largest or perhaps only producer along with North Eastern States of India. That is because the silk worm Antheraea assamensis that produces this silk are found in that state and can only live in the climatic conditions of Assam or surrounding areas. They feed on the leaves of Som and Sualu trees native to that region. Since the silk has very low porosity, it cannot be bleached or dyed but left as it is to retain its golden colour. It can be washed and with every wash its natural sheen increases.
Pat Silk: This is also known as Mulberry silk as the worms that produce are fed mulberry leaves. The colour of this silk varies from brilliant white to off-white. This is also one of the popular silks.
Eri silk: also known as Endi or Errandi silk. This is produced by the worms- Samia cynthia ricini which feed on leaves of Castor oil plant. Unlike in other silks where the cocoons are put in boiling water to kill the pupae, this silk is produced after the pupae develop into adults and leave the cocoons. The open ended cocoons are used for extracting the silk. That is why this is popularly known as non-violent silk. This silk is soft and warm and is is used in shawls and quilts. Not only that, since it is non violent silk, it is used in manufacturing of cloth offered to Gods and Goddesses of the Temples or used for religious purposes and also puritans who follow Hinduism strictly prefer this silk as it is non violent.
This is the most famous or popular Golden silk known as Muga silk from Assam. These are blouse pieces-un stitched. EC.jpg)
See the natural gold colour- unbleached and non dyed.
I bought one with red border. the borders have been stitched on the cloth not woven into it. But they are hand woven.
These are the ones with a green border- two different designs.
Take a look.
See the beautiful hand woven borders attached. they can be used on the back side bottom of the blouse and also on sleeves....
One more design of the border.
A closure look at the motifs.
Aren't they beautiful. I bought three pieces one for me, my sis and mother....and that too at a very cheap price. They were also selling these borders separately for blouses but I dint buy them.
I think these blouses will go well with raw silk or Tussar silk saris and in general with off white or gold coloured silk saris. Any way it is fashion now a days to wear contrast coloured blouses.
I will post the blouses after I stitch them. For more on the silks from Assam here is one link.
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