Banarasi or Kanjivaram: Which Silk Saree Should You Buy?

Ask for "a silk saree" in any good shop and you will be shown both. They look related from a distance and are anything but. Here is what actually separates a Banarasi from a Kanjivaram, and how to decide which one you are buying.

Where they come from

Banarasi is woven in and around Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, with Mughal-influenced design — florals, vines, jaal work, kalga and bel motifs, and a great deal of fine zari.

Kanjivaram comes from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu, with temple-inspired design — broad solid borders, checks, stripes, and motifs drawn from temple architecture and South Indian iconography.

The weave, which is the real difference

A Kanjivaram is woven as three separate pieces — body, border and pallu — which are then interlocked by hand. Run your fingers to where the border meets the body and you can feel the join. That construction is why a Kanjivaram border never frays away from the body, and why the saree is so heavy.

A Banarasi is woven as one continuous piece with the zari carried through as a supplementary weft. The result is lighter, with more intricate all-over patterning and finer gold work.

Weight and drape

• Kanjivaram — heavy, often 700g to well over a kilo. It holds its shape, the pleats stay sharp all evening, and it drapes with structure rather than flow.
• Banarasi — lighter and softer, especially the georgette, chiffon and khaddi versions. It falls and moves more.

If you are on your feet for six hours, that difference is the whole decision.

Which one for which occasion

• Your own wedding, or a family wedding where you are central — Kanjivaram. It photographs with weight and presence, and it is the saree that gets kept and passed on.
• Ashtami, receptions, a wedding you are a guest at — Banarasi. Lighter, easier to carry through a long day, and enormous variety at every price.
• Something you will actually wear more than twice — a Banarasi in chiffon, georgette or khaddi georgette.
• An heirloom — a pure-zari Kanjivaram.

Checking either one before you buy

• Zari: real zari is silver wire gilded with gold and does not flake. Scratch a hidden bit of thread — if the colour comes off, it is tested or plastic zari. That is not automatically bad, but it should be reflected in the price.
• The join: on a Kanjivaram, look for the interlocked border. A printed or attached border means it is not a true Kanchipuram.
• The reverse: on a genuine Banarasi you will see the floating zari threads between motifs. A print has a blank back.
• Silk mark: ask. Genuine pure-silk pieces usually carry certification.

Both, alongside Katan, Tissue, Tussar and Kani, sit under silk sarees.

Frequently asked questions

Which is more expensive, Banarasi or Kanjivaram?

Both range enormously. At the top end a pure-zari Kanjivaram usually costs more, because it uses more silk and more gold by weight.

Which is better for a bride?

Kanjivaram in the South and increasingly everywhere for the main ceremony; Banarasi is the traditional North Indian bridal silk and lighter to wear all day.

How do I know if zari is real?

Real zari is gilded silver and keeps its colour when gently scratched. Tested zari discolours over years; plastic zari flakes.

How should silk sarees be stored?

Folded in cotton or muslin, never plastic, away from light, and refolded along different lines once a year so the zari does not crack at the creases.

See both ranges at our Park Street store, or browse silk sarees online.