Manipur Artisan Makes Lotus Silk, The World's Rarest And Most Exclusive Fabric
The pristine pink Lotus flower that emerges from the mud without stains is often viewed as a symbol of purity. But, did you know, that this beautiful flower is also a source of the rarest type of silk in the world? Lotus silk is considered a highly exclusive fibre and is extracted by only a few expert craftspersons across the world. One of them is Bijayshanti Tongbram from Thanga Tongbram village of Manipur.
Bijayshanti Tongbram from Thanga Tongbram village of Manipur lives a few kilometers away from one of India's largest freshwater lakes, the Loktak lake. Loktak lake is a source of livelihood for thousands of fishermen, but this lake is also famous for Lotuses, blooming on the surface of the lake for as far as the eyes can see.
Bijayshanti Tongbram spins yarn from the stems of the lotus plant to create silk fabric. The idea came to Bijayshanti in the year 2014, while she was studying botany. Since then, she wanted to learn about aquatic plants, especially the plant habitat of Loktak lake, and how to utilise it to make a product of utility.
Bijayshanti leaves for Loktak lake early in the morning, to collect the lotus in her country boat. She carefully chooses the stem and the flower that can be used to extract the fibre. The fibre has to be extracted while the stem is still wet, or it breaks. And so Bijayshanti harvests the stems every day.
Today, this young entrepreneur has not only opened avenues for employment in rural areas but has also established herself in an untapped market. Currently, 30 women work for her organisation. Several women extract fibre at their homes and give her the fabric which she uses to stitch scarves and neckties.
