The Brocade Weave · Varanasi · Uttar Pradesh
Banarasi Silk Sarees
Mughal-descended brocade from the looms of Varanasi — katan silk carrying floral jaals, kalga and bel motifs in gold zari. Our reception and trousseau weave, stocked in Gobichettipalayam and Coimbatore.
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About the weave
Banarasi weaving carries Persian and Mughal design vocabulary into Indian silk: the floral jaal that covers the whole body, the kalga-and-bel paisley-and-vine border, the jhallar string of upright leaves along the pallu edge. The technique arrived in Varanasi with weavers under Mughal patronage and has stayed there for roughly five centuries.
Ours are katan — pure silk in which each thread is two twisted filaments, which is what gives a Banarasi its particular crispness and its ability to hold a heavy brocade without collapsing. A dense jaal is genuinely slow work: twenty-five to forty-five days on the loom for a single saree, because the pattern is built into the weave on a jacquard rather than printed or embroidered onto finished cloth.
In Tamil Nadu the Banarasi occupies a different chair from the Kanjivaram. A bride typically wears Kanchipuram for the muhurtham and reaches for a Banarasi for the reception, and it is the standard weave in a trousseau where variety matters. We carry deep red, royal blue, emerald and gold — the palette that has always sold here.
Specification
- Fabric
- Katan Silk + Real Gold Zari Brocade
- Woven in
- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
- Weight
- Heavy (~800g)
- Time on the loom
- 25–45 days per saree
- Care level
- High
- Colours we stock
- Deep Red, Royal Blue, Emerald, Gold
- Best for
- Receptions, grand occasions, bridal trousseau
How to recognise a real one
Ask to see any of these on any piece in either store. It is a normal request, not an awkward one.
- Silk
- Katan — two twisted filaments per thread, giving a crisp, structured drape
- Motifs
- Floral and foliate jaal, kalga and bel, and a jhallar edge on the pallu
- Construction
- Brocade woven into the cloth on the loom — never printed or surface-embroidered
- Reverse
- Float threads carried behind the motif; a real brocade shows this working on the back
- Weight
- Around 800g for a heavy jaal piece — comparable to a bridal Kanjivaram
Caring for your Banarasi saree
- Dry-clean only. Water dulls the zari and can pucker the brocade floats.
- Store folded in muslin with the pallu on the inside so the heaviest zari is not on a crease.
- Refold every few months; brocade sets a permanent line faster than plain silk does.
- Iron on the reverse through a cotton cloth, on the lowest silk setting, never directly on zari.
Banarasi sarees — common questions
What is the price of a Banarasi saree at Sangagiri Chettiar?
Our Banarasi range begins at ₹12,000 for katan silk with real gold zari brocade. The price moves with how much of the body the jaal covers and how much zari the pattern carries — a full-body jaal costs considerably more than a plain body with a brocade border. All prices are quoted in store.
What is the difference between a Banarasi and a Kanchipuram saree?
Different construction, different occasion. A Kanchipuram is woven in three parts and hand-interlocked, with a heavy temple border and a contrast pallu — the muhurtham weave of Tamil Nadu. A Banarasi is a brocade: the pattern, usually a Mughal-descended floral jaal, is woven into the body itself on katan silk. In most Tamil weddings the Kanjivaram is worn for the ceremony and the Banarasi for the reception.
Is Banarasi brocade woven or embroidered?
Woven. The motif is built into the cloth on the loom, which is why a genuine Banarasi shows float threads carried behind the pattern on the reverse. Anything with the design stitched onto finished silk is embroidery, not brocade, and should not be priced as a Banarasi.
Do you stock Banarasi sarees in Coimbatore?
Yes — the Banarasi range is carried at both stores: Main Bazaar Road in Gobichettipalayam and our Periyanaickenpalayam branch in Coimbatore. Call ahead if you want a particular colour set aside for a visit.
More answers on the full FAQ page.
See Banarasi sarees in person
Weight, fall and the way zari catches light do not survive a photograph. Both stores keep this weave on the floor — walk in, or call ahead and we will have pieces laid out.
Sangagiri Chettiar Javuli Kadal, Main Bazaar Road, Gobichettipalayam, Erode District, Tamil Nadu 638452
Mon–Sat: 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM · Sun: 10 AM – 1 PM
Sangagiri Chettiar Javuli Kadal, Periyanaickenpalayam, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu 641020
Mon–Sat: 10 AM – 8:30 PM · Sun: Closed
