Matka is ahimsa (non-violent) silk, spun from pierced or waste mulberry cocoons that cannot be reeled. The cocoons come from Malda and Bangalore, and are spun in the Murshidabad region where the weather is conducive to spinning. The pierced cocoons are boiled with locally available banana ash to soften them. Then, using a takli, women start spinning very early in the morning and continue till 11 a.m., and again spin for a few hours before sunset when the moisture in the air supports the spinning. One kilogram of cocoons yields about 600 grams of yarn. At Sarsabad village I saw groups of jolly women sitting together chatting while they spun the matka yarn. I was told there were about 3000 women in the village spinning regularly, and happy to earn around Rs.40 to 60 per day. Low as these wages are, they are valued as there is no other work. The mahajan (trader) provides them with 50 grams of cocoons and takes back 40 grams of yarn and they are paid a day’s wage. The delicate matka yarn is woven on a pit loom and the warp threads are brushed with water to prevent them from snapping. The bobbins for the weft are also dipped in water before weaving, which helps to compact the yarn to create uniformly even cloth. |