Coming from the sacred city of Banaras ( Varanasi), India, the Banarasi silk fabric is rich in elegance and grace. It brings India’s cultural legacy not only to the people of India but also to people living in different countries. For centuries, the Banarasi fabric has been used to make Indian attire including kurtas, dhotis, salwar suits, and sarees. Out of these traditional outfits, the Banarasi saree has long been a staple in bridal trousseaus for its timeless beauty.
History of Banarasi Silk
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The origins of Banarasi weaving go back to the Mughal period around the 14th century when artisans in Banaras started creating intricate silk brocades using gold and silver zari threads. Their craftsmanship gained prominence, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, Banarasi weaving earned worldwide recognition.
The influence of Mughal period can be seen in the designs, which include Mughal-inspired motifs, elaborating intertwining floral and foliate patterns, kalga and bel designs, and a characteristic jhallas, which is a string of upright leaves along the border.
One Handwoven saree requires a minimum of 15 days to a few months to complete, depending on the complexity of the zari work.
Banarasi Silk Saree as a Bride’s Favourite
Every bride wants to look her best in her wedding attire. The Banarasi silk saree is a timeless emblem of luxury and elegance because of its intricate gold and silver design. This exquisite fabric gives the saree an opulent texture, making it a perfect bridal attire.
The reasons why Banarasi Silk Saree is Bride’s Favourite:
Timeless Design
Banarasi Silk sarees are timeless in their designs, which makes them ideal choices for brides who are seeking versatility and tradition. Mostly, brides choose the classic red sarees, enriched with golden zari to follow the tradition of wearing red on the wedding day. Women who like pastels go for pastel sarees with silver intricate accents, which makes Banarasi silk sarees timeless and versatile.
Sustainability
For many brides today, sustainability is as important as style when choosing their wedding attire. The weaving process of the sarees is purely handcrafted which reduces the carbon footprint, which is a measure to understand the Industry’s carbon emission contributing to global warming. Also, the artisans from Banaras use age-old techniques, helping preserve the traditional craftsmanship. Banarasi silk saree is a timeless beauty that reduces textile waste and is meant to be passed down to generations. This helps support the state economy. Banarasi silk, with its rich heritage and ethical craftsmanship, is a beautiful and conscious choice.
Luxurious and Comfortable
Banarasi sarees are primarily made of silk, which is an all-time favourite among brides. The sarees are woven with pure mulberry silk that gives each saree a glossy feel, reflecting graceful texture and glow under the occasion’s lights. The gold and silver zari work further enhances the look of the saree, giving it a magnificent charm. In addition, the handwoven silk is not only elegant looking but also extremely comfortable and breathable to wear. The texture of the silk saree surely makes the bride feel beautiful and special on her big day.
The types of Banarasi Silk Sarees
1. Katan Silk Saree: Katan Silk is made of pure silk threads where two twisted silk filaments are woven together to give the fabric a soft and smooth feel. In addition, the twisted threads offer long term durability. Because of the durability, the fabric is able to hold the zari work beautifully giving it a rich look to the piece.
1. Tussar Silk Saree : Tussar silk, also called as wild silk as it comes from the silk worms that feed on Asan and Sal trees in the wild. Tussar silk has a coarse texture that naturally gives it a golden sheen. The Mughal-era-influenced designs like floral jaals and paisleys are often seen on the Tussar silk sarees. These are lighter in weight than the katan silk sarees, making them perfect for bridal wear.
1. Tanchoi Banarasi Silk Saree: The word Tanchoi comes from a weaving technique, which includes two to five different coloured thread weaving with a single or double warp. The two main designs of tanchoi sarees come from Gujrat and Banaras, where Banaras started producing more economical versions with zari work that made Tanchoi Sarees into Banarasi Tanchoi Sarees. These sarees also have no floating threads at the back, which makes them smoother and more comfy to wear.
1. Organza (Kora) Banarasi Silk Saree: The Organza silk saree is a rather crisp silk fabric made with twisted silk threads tightly spun to give the fabric a transparent stiff texture. In addition, the fabric is treated with starch to give it extra crispness. Afterwards, its dyed in pastel or bright colours, further weaved with zari to give it a luxurious yet light feel.
1. Georgette Banarasi or Kaddi Saree: The Georgette Banarasi fabric has a crinkly texture that adds a bit of volume to the fabric, while The fabric itself is flowy and comes in a variety of pastel and bright shades with Banarasi zari work. For a day event, a pastel-shaded saree with floral weave is a perfect choice while for the evening cocktail event, a wine or a red saree will surely grab all the eyes!
Select the Right Saree Shade for the Wedding
Banaras offers a variety of silk fabrics and motifs. However, when it comes to shade or colour, women may get stuck and want to consider the following in choosing the right colour for the big day:
Traditional Colours
Red or the deeper shades of red like crimson, ruby or maroon are the colours of Indian weddings, mainly because the red colour is considered auspicious and a symbol or love. For a traditional look – a katan maroon or red silk saree is a perfect choice for the wedding or reception night.
Modern Pastel Colours
Influenced by Bollywood celebrities like Neha Dhupia, Alia Bhatt, and Anushka Sharma, many Indian brides have embraced lighter shades in their bridal outfits. Colours like lilac, blush pink, peach and ivory have becomes recent favourites. While the red bridal outfit exudes passion, love, and tradition, the pastel shades on the other hand exhibits elegance and sophistication. This also gives out a message of breaking the stereotypes adorning something minimal yet luxurious on an as special day as a wedding day.
Dual Tones
Dual tones is a mix of both worlds – the bright and the light shaded saree offers a rich visual appeal and make a unique bridal statement. The gradient effect or the dark and light contrast has redefined the wedding fashion, lately. Some of the beautiful colour combinations for the bridal wear are –
• Red and Gold : This is a timeless colour combination
• Off white and Rose Gold: Perfect for modern brides giving them a dreamy look
• Purple and Blue: This combination is perfect for a wedding reception- away from the reds but bright enough to keep the bride as the centre of attention.
• Pink and Orange – Again, a classic combination giving a royal and festive look – perfect for Mehendi even.
How to Choose an Authentic Hand Woven Banarasi Saree
In the recent times, due to advancements in technology, the market is now full of machine-made sarees. With this, it’s important to know how to identify the handwoven and authentic Banarasi saree for the wedding.
• Look for the Silk and Handloom Mark : A handloom mark on a saree confirms Indian Government authentication. A silk mark further confirms that it’s made of 100% pure silk.
• Look for Imperfections : A handwoven silk saree will have some flaws or imperfections unlike machine woven sarees that have no imperfections at all. The uneven motifs or designs, slight variations in threads are some examples of imperfections in a handwoven silk saree.
• Feel the fabric : A pure handwoven silk saree feels soft and firm, while the machine made ones seem extremely glossy and rough to touch.
• Check the Zari work: The pure zari, which is the silver or gold thread work has a muted gold and silver finish whereas the synthetic zari is too loud in brightness and shine.
A Banarasi silk saree is not just a piece of cloth, but a symbol of heritage, grace, and durability. The handwoven techniques and intricate Mughal-inspired designs on silk make it a perfect choice for Indian brides.
Not just wedding events, a Banarasi saree remains a prized possession that carries a legacy through generations. The right fabric, colour, and designs of a saree make the bride look regal and deeply connected to Indian culture and heritage. With ever-evolving fashion trends, the Banarasi saree continues to influence bridal choices.
