Threads of Banaras Meet the makers behind Banarasi weaving

Banarasi brocade is still woven by hand in homes and small workshops across Varanasi and its neighbouring districts, and a single elaborate saree can keep a loom busy for weeks. Banaras Brocades and Sarees have been protected by a geographical indication since 2009. This visit takes you to the people who make them.

The visit is arranged in advance with a weaving household or workshop that welcomes guests, and a weaver hosts you at the loom. You watch the shuttle thrown and the pattern build, see how designs are set on punched jacquard cards, and learn techniques such as kadhua, where each motif is woven in separately. Your host translates, so you can ask the weavers directly about their work, their training and how long a piece takes. It is their working day, so they set the pace.

Retail expectations are made clear before you go. Some households and workshops also sell, and if this one does, we tell you beforehand. Looking costs nothing, there is no obligation to buy, and your host can explain how to tell handwoven silk and real zari from powerloom copies if you are thinking of buying, here or anywhere else.