Banarasi Silk

Banarasi silk is the brocade tradition of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, shaped by Mughal-era design vocabulary: kalga and bel vines, jhallar borders, jangla florals and shikargah hunting scenes. Unlike Kanjivaram, the Banarasi identity comes from supplementary-weft brocade rather than heavy silk weight, so the fabric is lighter, more fluid and denser in surface pattern. The four recognised categories are katan (pure twisted silk), organza with zari, georgette and shattir. A genuine handwoven Banarasi shows small irregularities in the motif repeat and floats of thread on the reverse where the brocade weft travels; a powerloom or printed copy has a flat, perfectly uniform back. Weaving a heavily brocaded piece can take fifteen days to six months. Banarasi is GI-protected, and authentic pieces from the cluster carry the Handloom Mark or Silk Mark. Store folded in muslin and avoid hanging, which stresses the zari.