With unique handlooms, handicrafts and rural products Odisha Mandap became the highlight of the India International Trade Fair at Bharat Mandapam.
Odisha’s eco-friendly silk, ‘Karuna silk’ stole the limelight as it showcased innovation and commitment towards cruelty-free fashion at IITF 2024. It is a cruelty-free and artificial-dye-free silk which is developed to promote sustainable practices in the textile industry.
The making of Karuna silk does not require killing the Eri silkworms. Rather, the cocoons are collected after the butterflies have hatched. The ruptured cocoons are then collected and the silk threads are extracted from them.
Moreover, the silk makers use natural dyes made from the bark of mango and jackfruit trees, marigold flowers and kumkum plants.
This sustainable variant of silk was developed by Odisha’s Routapada weavers, the ones who make the ‘Khandua Patta’ for Lord Jagannath and his siblings at Srimandir. The project was initiated last October with 700 farmers in five districts, and has now expanded to 14 districts, engaging 2,500 farmers, according to reports.
Odisha cultivates four silk varieties: Eri, Mulberry, Tassar, and Muga. Initially using Eri silkworms for Karuna Silk, the state now sources silk from all four types, promoting their cultivation across 22 districts.
