Bhagalpuri silk
A wild-silk saree woven in Bhagalpur, the city called Silk City
Bhagalpuri silk, also called tussar silk, is a traditional silk saree from Bhagalpur in Bihar, the city known as the Silk City of India. Its yarn comes from cocoons of Antheraea paphia, the Vanya silkworm that lives wild in forests on Terminalia trees, and the silk is mainly processed at Nathnagar for saris, shawls and kurtis.
- Also called tussar silk, it is woven in Bhagalpur and takes the city's name.
- Bhagalpur, its home, is known as the Silk City of India.
- The yarn comes from cocoons of Antheraea paphia, the Vanya silkworm.
- The silkworm lives wild in forests, feeding on Terminalia trees.
- Nathnagar is where the silk is mainly processed; shawls and kurtis also use it.
What is Bhagalpuri silk?
Bhagalpuri silk is a traditional silk saree made in and around Bhagalpur, a city in Bihar that people call the Silk City of India. The saree is named after the place, and the material it is woven from is also called tussar silk. That silk comes from the cocoons of Antheraea paphia, known as the Vanya silkworm, a species native to India that lives wild in forests on trees of the Terminalia genus. Much of the processing happens at Nathnagar. The same silk is used for shawls, kurtis and other garments, so Bhagalpuri is the name of a cloth as well as a sari.
Where does Bhagalpuri silk come from?
The silkworm behind Bhagalpuri silk is native to India, and the region's forests are what supply it. Antheraea paphia lives wild among trees of the Terminalia genus, and the cloth is classed as a wild silk for that reason. Bhagalpur is the anchor of the trade: the city is known as the Silk City of India, and the saree takes its name from it. Nathnagar is named as the place where the silk is mainly processed before it is woven.
How is Bhagalpuri silk made?
The fibre begins as cocoons of Antheraea paphia, the Vanya silkworm, which is native to India and lives wild in the forests. Its caterpillars feed on trees of the Terminalia genus, so the cocoons are taken from forest trees. From them comes the silk yarn that the Bhagalpur workshops weave. Nathnagar is named as the place where Bhagalpuri silk is mainly processed. Tussar silk and Bhagalpuri silk are treated as the same material.
Bhagalpuri silk, drawn
Styles of Bhagalpuri silk
The name Bhagalpuri covers both the cloth and the saree cut from it. Besides saris, the same silk is used for shawls, kurtis and other garments, so a Bhagalpuri sari is one product of a wider trade in this fabric. The saree and the tussar silk it is made from are often spoken of together, and the sources treat the two names as one material.
What Bhagalpuri silk means
Bhagalpur's identity is bound up with this cloth. The city is known as the Silk City of India, and the saree carries its name, Bhagalpuri. The silk itself is a wild one, drawn from cocoons of a worm native to the country's forests, which ties the trade to the woodland around Bhagalpur and to Nathnagar, where the silk is mainly processed.
Questions people ask about Bhagalpuri silk
Where does Bhagalpuri silk come from?
From Bhagalpur, a city in the Indian state of Bihar that is known as the Silk City of India. The saree is named after the place, and Nathnagar, in the same area, is where the silk is mainly processed.
How is Bhagalpuri silk made?
It is made from the cocoons of Antheraea paphia, the Vanya silkworm. This species is native to India and lives wild in forests, feeding on trees of the Terminalia genus. The silk is then processed mainly at Nathnagar and woven into saris, shawls and kurtis.
Is Bhagalpuri silk the same as tussar silk?
Yes, the two names are used for the same material. Bhagalpuri silk is a traditional style of silk sari, and the sources give tussar silk as another name for it. Bhagalpuri comes from the city where the silk is processed and woven.
What else is made from this silk?
Besides saris, Bhagalpuri silk is used for shawls, kurtis and other garments. The name refers to both the cloth and the Bhagalpuri sari made from it.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Bhagalpuri 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 2026-10-03.
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