Banarasi Silk Sarees: Everything You Need To Know About Them!

Symbolizing opulence and attire deemed fit only for the royal families, banarasi silk sarees have long been famed for their intricately woven designs interspersed with motifs reflecting India’s rich heritage and culture. With its genesis deeply rooted in undivided Bharat’s artistic expressions, the much-famed silk enjoys regality and marks an August presence in weddings, celebrity functions, religious festivals, and more.

If we look at the Banarasi saree history, it is as old as the Puranas. In many of their chapters, the Gods specifically mentioned and favored this silk variant.

The story of how the banarasi silk sarees for weddings became popular and how they continue to be ornately designed and worn in myriad styles is rooted in tradition and stories about how the Mughal emperor Akbar had taken a fancy to the silky and lustrous texture of the fabric.

So much so, he ordered all his clothes and upholstery to be designed and fitted with banarasi silk. Among the interesting facts about banarasi sarees that we know, one specifically stands out regarding its name. With Mughals wanting their carpets and curtains also created out of the famous silk fiber, many Muslim weavers settled down in Banaras after finding the city suitable to advance their business of cloth weaving.

It explains why the banarasi silk sarees for brides have motifs and designs inspired by the Mughals. Another interesting fact about banarasi sarees is the typical string of leaves called the jhallar bordering the sarees. This delicately entangled silk fiber work decorated with flower and leaflike motifs is an art and a significant characteristic of banarasi sarees alone.

Types of banarasi silk sarees

If you think that banarasi silk sarees are just rich fabric decorated with gold and silver, you could not have mistaken more. To this day, different types of banarasi sarees depend on how you wish to categorize them.

Based on how the fabric gets used in the sarees, you can classify them into four categories:

Pure silk (Katan): 

It is a plain silk fabric woven with glossy and pure silk threads that manufacturers turn into shining sarees. Industrial looms have replaced handlooms that once were used to weave those sarees.

Shattir: 

This most abundant material used to weave banarasi sarees is also the most sought after fabric to create exclusive banarasi saree designs sought after the rich and the elite.

Organza: 

Think about a fabric that is intricately designed and richly woven into brocade with carefully created motifs and patterns. Weavers weave these banarasi silk sarees with gold-coated silver threads that are then woven around silk yarn to create the zari, a style synonymous mostly with banarasi sarees only.

Georgette: 

If you are not willing to don the richly adorned, heavy banarasi sarees, you can opt for the contemporary version similar to georgette sarees that are plain, light and easily woven.

Based on designs, banarasi sarees are of five kinds:

Jangla: 

Women have a special fondness for banarasi sarees woven with colourful silk threads. These are actually Jangla sarees that are believed to be among the oldest category of banarasi sarees. The patterns on these sarees are different from banarasi sarees in the sense that the former are more known for their Jangla vegetation motifs. These sarees are unique from the perspective of designs as they differ from the other banarasi saree varieties.

Tanchoi: 

These are colourful silk yarns adorned with Zari borders and unique crisscross patterns.

CutWork: 

This is the least expensive kind of banarasi wear that common people can afford and wear. Similar to the jamdani styled sarees, these sarees combine cotton and silk fabric and use a unique cutwork technique on a plain textured fabric. These sarees contain popular floral motifs that include designs of jasmine, marigold flowers, creepers, and leaves.

Tissue: 

These are the most delicate and lightest sarees that you can wear for any occasion including functions, religious festivities and wedding festivities. These are the now preferred banarasi silk sarees for brides owing to the lightness of their fabric and brightly coloured designs.

Butidar: 

These are unique not only for their design but for the combination of shades created by gold and silver threads adorning the sarees. These sarees lend an individualist sense owing to their distinct and unmatched colour combination that causes gold to look darker than its silver counterpart. Due to this different variety of brocade, these kinds of banarasi sarees are referred to as Ganga-Jamuna by Banarasi weavers.

Today’s generation prefers to have their wedding designers fashioned by reputed designers. While cuts and designs may differ, most designers still prefer using banarasi silk or advise their clients to wear banarasi silk sarees for their ultimate and unparalleled look.

Types of banarasi silk sarees
If you think that banarasi silk sarees are just rich fabric decorated with gold and silver, you could not have mistaken more. To this day, different types of banarasi sarees depend on how you wish to categorize them.
Based on how the fabric gets used in the sarees, you can classify them into four categories:
<h3>Pure silk (Katan)</h3>: It is a plain silk fabric woven with glossy and pure silk threads that manufacturers turn into shining sarees. Industrial looms have replaced handlooms that once were used to weave those sarees.
<h3>Shattir</h3>: This most abundant material used to weave banarasi sarees is also the most sought after fabric to create exclusive banarasi saree designs sought after the rich and the elite.
<h3>Organza</h3>: Think about a fabric that is intricately designed and richly woven into brocade with carefully created motifs and patterns. Weavers weave these banarasi silk sarees with gold-coated silver threads that are then woven around silk yarn to create the zari, a style synonymous mostly with banarasi sarees only.
<h3>Georgette</h3>: If you are not willing to don the richly adorned, heavy banarasi sarees, you can opt for the contemporary version similar to georgette sarees that are plain, light and easily woven.
Based on designs, banarasi sarees are of five kinds:
<h3>Jangla</h3>: Women have a special fondness for banarasi sarees woven with colourful silk threads. These are actually Jangla sarees that are believed to be among the oldest category of banarasi sarees. The patterns on these sarees are different from banarasi sarees in the sense that the former are more known for their Jangla vegetation motifs. These sarees are unique from the perspective of designs as they differ from the other banarasi saree varieties.
<h3>Tanchoi</h3>: These are colourful silk yarns adorned with Zari borders and unique crisscross patterns.
<h3>CutWork</h3>: This is the least expensive kind of banarasi wear that common people can afford and wear. Similar to the jamdani styled sarees, these sarees combine cotton and silk fabric and use a unique cutwork technique on a plain textured fabric. These sarees contain popular floral motifs that include designs of jasmine, marigold flowers, creepers, and leaves.
<h3>Tissue</h3>: These are the most delicate and lightest sarees that you can wear for any occasion including functions, religious festivities and wedding festivities. These are the now preferred banarasi silk sarees for brides owing to the lightness of their fabric and brightly coloured designs.
<h3>Butidar</h3>: These are unique not only for their design but for the combination of shades created by gold and silver threads adorning the sarees. These sarees lend an individualist sense owing to their distinct and unmatched colour combination that causes gold to look darker than its silver counterpart. Due to this different variety of brocade, these kinds of banarasi sarees are referred to as Ganga-Jamuna by Banarasi weavers. Today’s generation prefers to have their wedding designers fashioned by reputed designers. While cuts and designs may differ, most designers still prefer using banarasi silk or advise their clients to wear banarasi silk sarees for their ultimate and unparalleled look.