Malda silk
A soft, golden-yellow silk yarn from Malda district, West Bengal, woven into sarees
A fine silk yarn from Malda district in West Bengal, produced from the Nista strain of the mulberry silkworm and a Japanese bivoltine breed. Its golden thread goes into Baluchari, Garad and Korial sarees and into Bhutan's gho and kira, and it gained a GI tag in 2026.
- Nista yarn from Malda runs 2 to 2.4 denier, among the world's finest silk threads.
- The yarn received GI status in 2026 as Malda Nista Silk Yarn.
- Kautilya's Arthashastra, from 321 BC, records silk cloth called Kausheya from the Malda region.
- About 70 percent of West Bengal's raw Nistari silk comes from Malda district.
- Bhutan weaves imported Malda yarn into its traditional gho and kira.
What is Malda silk?
Malda silk is a fine silk yarn from Malda district in West Bengal. It comes from two silkworms: the Nista, a local strain of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, and a Japanese bivoltine breed, meaning it yields two crops a year. The Nista thread ranks among the world's finest silk yarns, measuring just 2 to 2.4 denier, and cloth woven from it feels soft. Its colour is a bright golden yellow. Weavers in Bengal use the yarn for Baluchari, Garad and Korial sarees, and Bhutan imports it for the gho and kira, its traditional garments. Demand runs strong in North India, Uttar Pradesh above all, and in South India, with exports going overseas as well.
Where does Malda silk come from?
Silk has been raised and traded around Malda for a very long time; the district stood among the leading centres of Bengal's silk industry. Kautilya's Arthashastra, composed in 321 BC, mentions a silk fabric called Kausheya brought from a land named Pundariksha, the old name for the Malda region. A folktale recorded by Hunter tells of Malda cloth reaching Russia in the sixteenth century, and large amounts of its silk went to Mirzapur and Benares with monk traders. Bengal's silk once sold as Bengal Silk and Ganga Silk, and it left Malda for Europe among other markets. That lineage now continues in Nista yarn, given Geographical Indication status in 2026 as Malda Nista Silk Yarn.
How is Malda silk made?
Everything begins with the worm. Two strains supply the yarn: the Nista strain of Bombyx mori and a Japanese bivoltine breed. Silk production reaches every community development block, the local administrative unit, across Malda district, and Malda alone accounts for roughly 70 percent of the raw Nistari silk made in West Bengal. Neighbouring Murshidabad and Birbhum districts share in the work through their own blocks. The thread that results is exceptionally fine, 2 to 2.4 denier, which is why cloth woven from it feels soft. Much of it serves as drawn yarn for the looms making Baluchari, Garad and Korial sarees, while exports send the rest to Bhutan for gho and kira cloth.
Malda silk, drawn
Colours, motifs and borders
The yarn's mark is its colour, a bright golden yellow, and its thinness. At 2 to 2.4 denier, the Nista thread counts among the world's finest silk yarns, and that fineness is what makes fabric from it feel soft. No motifs or borders are recorded for the yarn itself; the designs belong to the sarees it goes into, whether a Baluchari, a Garad or a Korial. What the yarn lends them is a fine, golden ground to work on.
How Malda silk is worn
Most people wear Malda silk without naming it, because the yarn turns up inside better-known sarees. Bengal's weavers draw it into Baluchari, Garad and Korial sarees, and its softness carries into the drape. In Bhutan, imported Malda yarn is woven into the gho, a robe, and the kira, a wrapped dress, the country's traditional garments. Buyers in North India, Uttar Pradesh especially, and in South India keep demand high, and exports add markets abroad. Even when the label names another saree, the thread itself comes from Malda's silkworms.
Styles of Malda silk
Two worms give two threads. The Nista strain of Bombyx mori produces the celebrated fine yarn, while the Japanese bivoltine breed adds a second kind of silk to Malda's output. From there the yarn branches again: as Baluchari, as Garad, as Korial, each a different saree tradition, and in Bhutan as gho and kira cloth. Names have shifted with time and paperwork. The silk of Bengal once traded as Bengal Silk and Ganga Silk; today the protected name is Malda Nista Silk Yarn, a Geographical Indication granted in 2026, which ties the fine Nista thread to its home districts.
What Malda silk means
The yarn carries Bengal's whole silk story. An entry in a text from 321 BC, buyers in Europe, a folktale of Russian trade, consignments to Mirzapur and Benares: all of this sits behind the label Malda Nista Silk Yarn, which the Geographical Indication Registry recognized in 2026. That status matters for livelihoods, since silk raising and yarn drawing spread across every block of Malda district and into Murshidabad and Birbhum, with Malda contributing about 70 percent of West Bengal's raw Nistari silk. Fame has followed the thread lately: Nista silk from Malda is in demand across India and abroad, giving the old trade a fresh market.
Questions people ask about Malda silk
Where does Malda silk come from?
From Malda district in West Bengal, where silk is produced in every community development block. Malda supplies roughly 70 percent of the raw Nistari silk made in the state, with Murshidabad and Birbhum districts producing the yarn as well.
How is Malda silk made?
It comes from the Nista strain of Bombyx mori, a mulberry silkworm, together with the Japanese bivoltine silkworm. Nista yarn measures only 2 to 2.4 denier, so it ranks among the finest silk threads anywhere, and cloth woven from it stays soft.
What is Malda silk used for?
Its Nistari yarn serves as drawn yarn for Baluchari, Garad and Korial sarees. Bhutan imports it as well, weaving the thread into the gho and the kira, the country's traditional garments.
What does Malda silk look like?
The silk is a bright golden yellow. Because the yarn is so fine, at 2 to 2.4 denier, fabric woven from it feels soft rather than stiff. The yarn itself is the celebrated part, not any printed design.
Why did Malda silk matter historically?
Silk from Bengal once traded as Bengal Silk and Ganga Silk, and Malda shipped it to Europe and other countries. A folktale recorded by Hunter also tells of Malda textiles reaching Russia in the sixteenth century.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Malda 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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