When one arrives in a tussar weaving village, the first thing you notice is a Gram Devi - the female deity that is positioned at the centre of the village. You walk around the village, beautiful rice paste alpanas adorn the mud walls of thatch-roofed houses. Children play on the streets with cycle tyres and sticks. There are young and old women sitting in groups on their porch working on the spinning charkhas and chatting. They are all weaving tussar silk.

A unique decentralised tussar silk industry thrives along the coastal belt of north Orissa. Tussar silk is produced by the larva of the insect Antheraea Mylitta. Tussar silk is valued for its unique rich texture and natural deep gold colour.

Tribal communities collect tussar silk cocoons from the forest which are then thigh-reeled into fine quality tussar yarns by women of the weaving communities. Back in the day, this rich fabric was highly-priced and was also given as gifts by kings and monarchs.