Murshidabad silk
In its own language: মুর্শিদাবাদী রেশম
A fine, light mulberry silk from Murshidabad district, West Bengal, woven mainly into saris
A fine, light mulberry silk from Murshidabad district in West Bengal, reeled from silkworms raised on mulberry leaves. Weavers there use it mainly for saris, among them Baluchari and Gorood, and the cloth is valued for being fine and easy to drape.
- Silk rearing in Murshidabad is traced back to the 13th century
- The East India Company set up a kuthi at Kasimbazar in 1658
- The sari sets a peacock blue ground against a golden border
- A GI tag was applied for in May 2023
- The silk is nicknamed the Queen of Weaving
What is Murshidabad silk?
Murshidabad silk is a mulberry silk from Murshidabad district in West Bengal. Silkworms of the species Bombyx mori are raised on mulberry leaves, and the silk they give is fine, light and simple to drape. Most of it goes into saris, which is how the cloth is usually seen. A Murshidabad silk sari sets a peacock blue ground against a gold border, with zari worked into foliage, flowers and birds, and an anchal carrying flowing gold. The cloth has been called the Queen of Weaving. Weavers in the district make it, alongside the farmers who grow the mulberry and rear the worms.
Where does Murshidabad silk come from?
Silk was first produced in China. Rearing reached the Bengal region in the Middle Ages, when the output was simply called Bengal silk, and production in Murshidabad is dated to the 13th century. Cloth from Murshidabad, Malda and Rajshahi later took the name of each place. European traders were drawn to it by the 17th century and set up kuthis, or trading posts, to ship silk to Europe; the East India Company opened one at Kasimbazar in 1658, and Dutch, Portuguese and French traders followed. From Murshidabad the craft travelled south, after an expert sent by Tipu Sultan of Mysore studied silk cultivation and processing there between 1780 and 1790. After Plassey the Company exported raw material to Britain and the trade declined, with factories closing in 1883. Government support after independence helped it recover.
How is Murshidabad silk made?
Mulberry is the base of the work. Silkworms of Bombyx mori are reared on mulberry leaves, silk is reeled from their cocoons, and the yarn goes to weavers in the district. The trade rests on two sets of people: sericulture farmers who raise the worms and weavers who turn the yarn into cloth. Both have been shrinking. In 2002 the district counted 38,040 farmers and 25,778 weavers; in 2012 the figures were 14,593 and 15,160. Experts blame weakening silkworm stock and mulberry losses from drought, flood and a changing climate, with small farmers unable to borrow money to raise more raw silk.
Murshidabad silk, drawn
Colours, motifs and borders
The sari the district is known for puts a peacock blue ground under a gold border. Zari, the metallic thread, runs across the anchal, the end piece that hangs over the shoulder, in flowing patterns described as jhumko. The patterning is of foliage, flowers and birds, woven in rather than printed, which is where the intricacy comes from. Descriptions of the cloth single out that combination: a blue field, a golden edge, and gold figures spread over the end piece.
How Murshidabad silk is worn
The sources say only that this silk is fine and light and easy to drape, which is why it suits a sari. It is worn as a sari is normally worn, wrapped at the waist and carried over one shoulder, with the decorated anchal left to hang. No particular drape, blouse style or length is described for it.
Styles of Murshidabad silk
Several saris come out of Murshidabad silk. Baluchari, named for Baluchar near Jiaganj in the district, is the best known; later versions were woven in cotton, and some used thread taken from bamboo and banana plants. Gorood is made mainly in Mirzapur in Murshidabad district. Jamdani saris are also woven in this silk. Beyond saris, the yarn goes into other garments, among them the sherwani.
What Murshidabad silk means
The cloth carried Bengal's silk trade abroad for centuries and was nicknamed the Queen of Weaving. In May 2023 the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences applied for a Geographical Indication tag covering Murshidabad silk among eleven products; such a tag marks goods as coming from a particular place. Behind the name sits a livelihood under strain, with farmer and weaver numbers more than halving between 2002 and 2012 as people left for city jobs and steadier wages. Murshidabad district now ranks second among West Bengal's silk producing districts and third in India.
Questions people ask about Murshidabad silk
Where does Murshidabad silk come from?
From Murshidabad district in West Bengal, India. Silk production there is dated to the 13th century, and the cloth was shipped to Europe from the 17th century through trading posts the Europeans set up in the region.
How is it made?
Silkworms of Bombyx mori are reared on mulberry leaves, and silk is reeled from their cocoons into yarn. Weavers then work the yarn into cloth, adding zari for the border and the anchal, where flowers, foliage and birds appear.
Which saris are woven from it?
Baluchari, which comes from Baluchar near Jiaganj in the district, and Gorood, made mainly in Mirzapur. Jamdani saris are also woven in Murshidabad silk, and the yarn is used for garments such as the sherwani.
Why did the industry decline?
Under East India Company rule raw material was exported to Britain and the Bengal silk trade fell away, with factories closed in 1883. After independence it recovered with government help, but farmers and weavers have since been leaving the work.
Does it have a GI tag?
An application was filed in May 2023 by the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, covering Murshidabad silk along with eleven products. The sources do not state that the tag has been granted.
Good reading and sources
- Murshidabad silk on WikipediaEncyclopedia
- More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
- Wikidata recordOpen data
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Murshidabad silk", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryPallu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Traditions, weaves and prices differ from one weaver, town or shop to the next, and it is not buying advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-11-13.
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