Dimdima
Online Children's Magazine from India
The silkworm is the caterpillar of the moth Bombyx mori.
The caterpillar feeds voraciously on mulberry leaves, becomes big and, and about a month after it has hatched, starts weaving its silken cocoon.
The cocoon stage lasts two weeks and then the moth emerges from the silken case. When the moth comes out, the silk is damaged. This cannot be allowed to happen if the silkworms are being reared for the production of silk. So the pupae are killed by dropping the cocoons in hot water or heating them to a high temperature for a short while.
The silk is obtained by unravelling the cocoons. Each cocoon gives an unbroken thread, around 900 m long. It takes about 110 cocoons to make a silk tie, about 630 to make a blouse and 3000-4000 to make a kimono or sari.
Animal-rights activists are opposed to the manufacture of silk from silkworms because it involves destruction of life.
Many people do not wear silk for the same reason.
Last updated on :9/2/2003
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Dimdima is the Sanskrit word for ‘drumbeat’. In olden days, victory in battle was heralded by the beat of drums or any important news to be conveyed to the people used to be accompanied with drumbeats.
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
K. M Munshi Marg,
Chowpatty, Mumbai - 400 007
email : editor@dimdima.com
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Tardeo, Mumbai - 400 034
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Dimdima.com, the Children's Website of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan launched in 2000 and came out with a Printed version of Dimdima Magazine in 2004. At present the Printed Version have more than 35,000 subscribers from India and Abroad.