Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, who welcomed him at the White House in Washington on Wednesday, exchanged gifts.

Among gifts handed over to President Bidden and his wife Jill Biden by PM Modi comprised a variety of items from different parts of India including one from Jharkhand.

This was well known handwoven textured tussar silk cloth sourced from Jharkhand was offered for Vastradaan (donation of cloth).

Tussar silk( alternatively spelled as tussah, Tushar,tasar, tussore, tasar and so on is produced from larve of several species of silkworms belonging to the moth genus Antheraea.

Handwoven textured tussar silk gifted to President Biden and Mrs Biden carried a fine product of silkworms who live in the wild forests in trees belonging to Terminalia species and Shorea robusta, as well as other food plants such as jamun trees in Jharkhand.

The same silk worms also found in South Asia. They eat the leaves of the oak trees on which they live.

In any case, Tussar silk is valued for its rich texture and natural, deep- gold or pink colour. This Tussar silk is produced in many other countries including China, Japan, Sri Lanka. And of course in Saraikela, Kharsawan and West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand state of India.