Banarasi sari
A sari of silk brocade from Varanasi, with gold and silver thread in the border and end piece.
Varanasi has woven brocades since the Mughal era, and the Banarasi sari is among India’s most coveted bridal saris. The technique has a protected geographical indication. Examples are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Museum in New Delhi.
Materials: Silk, zari (metal-wrapped thread)
Manufacture: Woven on a drawloom, today on a Jacquard; a single unseamed length of five to six metres.
The pallu – the richly patterned end draped over the shoulder.
Mughal-inspired motifs: floral scrolls, paisley and arcades.