What Defines a Real Banarasi
Katan silk and the jaala loom.
Authentic Banarasi sarees are woven from katan — twisted pure mulberry silk that holds zari without sagging. The brocade is built up motif by motif using the kadwa technique, where each motif is woven separately and tied off, rather than running floating threads behind the fabric. This is why a real Banarasi looks identical on both sides.
The jaala is the pre-jacquard pattern-loom on which the most intricate Banarasi sarees have been woven for four hundred years. It takes two weavers — one operating the harness above, one weaving below — and the design is encoded in knotted threads above the loom. The jaala is slower by half. We pay accordingly.
