Handloom of Jharkhand
Tussar
The wild silk of Jharkhand and Bihar — the gold thread of the forest cocoon.
History
Origins & patronage
Tussar (also called Tasar or Kosa) is a wild silk produced by the Antheraea mylitta silkworm which feeds not on cultivated mulberry but on wild Sal, Arjun and Asan trees in the forests of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and parts of central India. The tribal Santhal, Ho and Munda communities of the Chota Nagpur plateau have farmed wild-tussar cocoons for at least a thousand years. Bhagalpur in Bihar became the finishing and weaving centre in the Mughal period and remains the most famous Tussar weaving city today — earning the name "Silk City". Kosa silk (Chhattisgarh) is a related regional variant.
Motifs & identifiers
Signature vocabulary
Uneven, slubby texture that is the identifying "wild-silk" character; natural honey-gold colour of the untreated silk (dyeing is optional); often woven plain or with ghicha (short-fibre silk yarn) borders; when patterned, motifs tend to be block-printed or embroidered (Kantha stitch) rather than woven-in; heavier and stiffer drape than mulberry silk.
Weaving villages
Where it is woven
Bhagalpur (Bihar) is the largest cluster with 30,000-plus weavers; Godda and Dumka in Jharkhand for the cocoon farming; Champa in Chhattisgarh for kosa silk. Approximately 1.5 million people are involved in the wild-silk economy across these states.
How to spot a real one
Authenticity guide
Tussar has a distinct slubby, textured surface with visible small knots — this is not a defect, it is the mark of wild-silk yarn; the natural colour is a warm honey-gold; the fabric has a coarser, drier hand than mulberry silk (which is buttery-smooth). Look for the Bhagalpur Silk GI or the Kosa Silk GI depending on origin.
From our collection
Shop Tussar sarees
![Kiara Semi Silk Brocade Saree [KIA]](http://9thara.com/cdn/shop/files/Sareee_622222.webp?v=1782908214&width=600)
![Rohini Silk Brocade Saree [RHA]](http://9thara.com/cdn/shop/files/Sareee52222.webp?v=1782907452&width=600)
![Bhavya Bhagalpur Silk Saree [BHA]](http://9thara.com/cdn/shop/files/Saree_32222.webp?v=1782907211&width=600)
![Thulasi Fancy Cotton Saree [TLA]](http://9thara.com/cdn/shop/files/Sareee22222222.webp?v=1782906814&width=600)
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Test yourself on all 15 weaves
Can you tell a Kanjivaram from a Kanchipuram silk imitation? A Bishnupur Baluchari from a Bhagalpur Tussar? Ten rounds, one saree per round.
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