Biharsharif and some of its neighboring villages like Nepura, Malah Bigha etc.
house as many as 100-120 looms which produces exceptional quality silks as well
as cotton material for dresses. The weavers acquire silk yarns from Gaya,
Bhagalpur etc. to bring out some exquisite tussar silk, mulberry silk and
'Matka' silk fabrics. Weaver use 60" width looms to produce cotton dress
material and sheets. In the past it's said that some 1200 odd looms were
operative in the region, but the count diminished due to many factors. However,
skilled presence still persists in the region. Biharsharif shares proximity
with popular tourist haunts like Nalanda, Pawapuri and Rajgir and this provides
some unique opportunities for the cluster.
Sigori, Patna
Sigori is a small dusty village of Patna district which used to be a hub of
small weaver concentrations in its vicinage such as Kurtha Arwal. However, most
of these locations lacked the pliancy that the weavers of Sigori possess and
thus presently about 300 looms chug along producing a wide range of cotton
dress materials, primarily shirting, dhoti, gamchha etc.
The use of VAT colors, plain weaves and a wide range of check and stripes
pattern using 40's to 60's cotton yarns, has characterized the Sigori’s
handloom offerings.
Manpur, Gaya
Manpur, Tekari, Chakand and a few other villages of the region housed
a number of weaver families. However, with the passage of time, the number has
dwindled drastically and at present there are just a few handlooms in these
villages, mainly Manpur (which has about 100 looms), and that is due to
proximity to Gaya, which is a sought after tourist destination and a pilgrim
centre for the Buddhists . Manpur thus produces not just excellent quality of
silk but also a large number of Gamchhas (a thin cotton towel) basically used
at most of the pilgrimages. The weaver families mainly produce what they can
sell to traders of Bhagalpur or to the local traders based in Gaya. A few of
the weavers have also explored the natural dyed tussar silk fabrics to
make stoles, dress materials etc and their endeavor has been successful.
Bhuwara, Madhubani
Madhubani is centuries old art and is done by mainly the females of the family
and it’s a part and parcel of their daily routine. It is a belief that
the Gods come to the house unseen to bestow the family with their blessings and
to bring peace and good fortune to the household. Thus this art form started as
a daily welcome for the gods, by painting the walls and floors of the house.
Originally the walls and floors were coated with cow dung which provided an
excellent back drop for the paintings. Even now the artists coat the handmade
paper with diluted cow dung, as it helps them get desired colors. Madhubani is
an unusual art of narrating story through paintings; and the stories revolve
basically around the Indian mythology.
Excellent muslins, cotton dress materials, fine dhotis; were some of the
offerings from Madhubani region to the whole world. However, the skill is now
confined to just a few artists and the cluster presently has about 300 odd
looms producing mainly saris, dhotis and gamchhas using 40s to 60s count cotton
yarns.
Katoria, Banka
Katoria, Chorbe and Dumwara are major handloom destinations in Banka district
of Bihar, and they share their boundary with the state of Jharkhand. This area
is ideal for tussar cocoon rearing as it has a unified geo-climatic condition;
and also the forests provide a lot of scope for tussar rearing. Tussar silk is
produced by the silk worm named "Antharaea mylitta" and this worm mainly
flourishes on the plants Asan and Arjun.
The traditional thigh reeling of tussar silk is carried out by the women folk
of this region. The hands behind the art are tinged with the understanding that
their work is not just simple pleasure either for them or their customers.
Thus Ghhichha, Katia and other types of tussar silk yarns are produced and
further woven into Tussar-Ghhichha, Mulberry - Ghhichha fabrics are produced.
The cluster possesses about 400 to 500 looms. The Arcadian looks and the coarse
texture of the fabric is appreciated and acknowledged by fabric aficionados
from across the globe.
Hussainabad, Bhagalpu
Hussainabad is a part and parcel of Bhagalpur. The looms those are
being used presently by the clusters are pit looms with single box fly shuttle
technique. The jacquards is not being used by the weavers but the cluster uses
4, 6 or 8 pedals to create textural patterns in the fabric and also some
makeshift dobby’s(A Dobby Loom is a type of floor loom that controls the
warp threads using a device called a dobby) of 6- 8 plates.
The width of the looms is up to 60 inches but the actual width of the fabrics
ranges from 45 to 55 inches. The weavers of the cluster have been involved in
doing a lot of design based production as per the demand of the clients
using up to 8 pedals for textural patterns, dobby’s to a certain
extent and also jalas in a few cases. They are accomplished at handling
varieties of silks and the cluster has a reputation for being the main source
for matka silk (A thick kind of silk fabric. By differing the amount of yarn
used, the texture and thickness may be altered), and this has helped Bhagalpur
in acquiring a brand name.
They also have the expertise of using sectional warping of different colors.
The ability to mix different yarns to create various kinds of textures in the
fabric is an advantage that the cluster's weavers possess. The cluster's
weavers are known for producing fine quality silk dress materials for women.
Nathnagar, Bhagalpur
Nathnagar is a part and parcel of the extended township of Bhagalpur
and is well linked with Patna and Kolkata and also with the rest of the
country. A big number of families are engaged in weaving activity in the
region, some in power looms and some in handlooms. The cluster possesses a very
large number of looms though they are functional based, that is they are
operated according to the order received. 300 to 400 looms are said to be
operative at any point of time. The looms being presently used in the cluster
are pit looms with single box fly shuttle technique. The jacquards is not being
used by the weavers, but the use of 4 to 6 pedals to create beautiful
textural patterns in the fabric are in appliance by the cluster. The weavers of
the cluster have been involved in making a variety of silk and cotton fabrics
ranging from the well known silk chaddar of Bhagalpur to tussar silk fabrics,
dhoti, lungi, gammcha etc. However, the cotton looms are more in number as
compared to the silk looms in the cluster.
The different kinds of yarns used by the clusters in Nathnagar and Bhagalpur
region are, cotton, mercerinized cotton, spun silk, Tussar silk, Staple, Noil,
Throster, Matka noil, Muga silk, linen. Fancy yarns such as Acrylic, Wool,
Lub-lub, Viscose, Flag, Kela silk, Lurex, and payal and many more are also used
by the clusters.
Champa Nagar, Bhagalpur
Champa nagar comes under the Bhagalpur Township, that houses about 500
odd looms and these produce a varied range of silk fabrics. The present range
of products can be branched into 65% of silk dress material, 20 to 25% of silk
home furnishings, 15 to 20% of silk saris and cotton fabrics.
The width of the looms is up to 50 inches. The cluster uses both the pit as
well as the frame looms. To create beautiful and exquisite textural patterns in
the fabric the cluster uses 4 to 6 pedals and this is a common practice. The
weavers are proficient and have a clear perspective of possible variations that
can be explored in weave structures and possible combinations utilizing the
resources available to them to the maximum. They are ready to explore and try
on new designing ideas and they welcome suggestions and are not insistent to
just stick to the conventional weaving practice.
They explore all the arenas of fabric making, like they do tie and dye, they
try out motifs, patterning, as per yarn innovation they also try out elaborate
yarns and always work according to the demand.
Kharik Bazaar, Bhagalpur
Kharik is closely connected to Bhagalpur geographically as well as
economically. It is about 30 kilometers from Bhagalpur off the NH (National
Highway) 31.
Several households in the region are committed to the weaving activity, some in
power looms and some in handlooms. The cluster has numerous looms though they
remain functional based i.e. they are operated on the orders received by them.
At any given time at least 300 to 400 looms are said to be operative. The width
of the looms is up to 50 inches. Both frame as well as pit looms are being used
in the cluster to produce coarse cotton lungis (a sarong kind of cloth usually
worn by men) to good quality silk dupattas. A few weavers of the region are
also involved in producing tussar silk fabrics such as Tussar-Ghichha or
Mulberry-Ghichha.
