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The Banarasi saree is quite well-liked by women of all faiths and all backgrounds. It is also widely worn as a bridal dress in Bengali marriages. In addition to the Indian fashion industry, the world of international fashion is taking stock of these Banarasi sarees. This ethnic outfit is remarkable because of the plethora of intricate and exquisite embroidery sewn into its six yards. This Banarasi saree itself is embroidered by hand in Varanasi using exquisite designs made of gold and silver threads, defying technological progress.
Every woman's primary preference for sarees nowadays consists of one of these gorgeous and elegant outfits. The city of Varanasi is where Banarasi sarees are woven. They are known as the finest traditional sarees in India and are extremely heavy due to their intricate embroidery, which makes them ideal for festivities, marriages, and other special occasions. Classic versions of this saree are manufactured in 4 distinct materials: virgin silk, Georgette, Kora Organza, and Katan Organza.
Organza, satin borders, jangla, brocades, Tanchoi, cutwork, and Resham butidar are mostly just a handful of the countless Banarasi silk saree variants obtainable. These textiles feature fascinating animals, birds, floral insignias, fruit, human figures, and geometric pattern motifs. Furthermore, Persian elements have been incorporated into Indian design to create different floral arrangements for the sarees that are still used nowadays.
The royal household traditionally utilized authentic gold and silver threads to embellish the Banarasi sarees. To make them more widely available today, coloured gold and silver threads have been employed as a replacement for traditional threads. This saree is spun on a handloom with eye-catching motifs and tones and is marketed throughout the globe.
Banarasi sarees are known for their exquisite designs and rich fabric. There are four major fabric varieties used in creating Banarasi sarees - Georgette, Shattir, Organza with zari and silk, and Katan. The Georgette variety, which is made by weaving crepe yarn in the warp and weft, produces a lightweight fabric that is perfect for Bollywood sarees, couture sarees, and salwar kameez outfits. The Shattir fabric is used to create beautiful contemporary and pricey Banarasi saree designs.
Meanwhile, the Organza variety is known for its richly woven fabric, and warp and weft are used to create some of the most magnificent Brocade designs and embellishments. Finally, pure silk sarees are made from Katan fabric. This plain material is composed of pure silk threads and is used to create exquisite designs and patterns. Although Katan sarees were formerly handloomed, power looms and quick looms are now used to manufacture them.
To create a Banarasi saree, at least three different artisans work together on a power loom. One weaves the silk, another dyes it, and a third connects the knots of silk to build the power ring. The motifs are originally sketched on graph paper and then embossed as a punch-card pattern. This pattern serves as a guide for the thread pattern during the entire weaving process.
The amount of time it takes to create a Banarasi saree depends on how elaborate the embroidery is, ranging from fifteen days to six months. For those who want an imperial pattern, it may even take a whole year for the artisans to produce a Banarasi silk saree, Banarasi georgette sarees or any other Banarasi saree of their choice.
The Mughal Empire brought sophisticated sewing and decorating techniques of the Banarasi silk to India.
During ancient times, artisans and weavers of these beautifully crafted Banarasi sarees are believed to have drawn inspiration from natural flowers such as Jasmine, Marigold, Thousand Emeralds, and even the leaves of Betel Nut for designs. The diagonal stripes, floral patterns and corner motifs are some of the other patterns woven on a Banarasi saree. It is woven on a handloom by blending it with dobby or Jacquard mechanism.
It would be interesting to know that an ideal Banarasi saree is made up of around 5600 thread wires, and all of them are of 45-inch width. The weaving of the warp requires the artisans to create the base first which is about 24-25 meters long. The most notable aspects of crafting a Banarasi sari is teamwork.
Out of the three, one weaves the saree, the second rotates the ring to create the bundles and the third craftsman assists in the designing of the border. Crafted delicately with ultimate perfection in the designs and floral patterns, these eye-catching sarees come in striking shades and hues. These days the traditional patterns are complimented with zardozi work, sequins, colourful beads, and different bootis to enhance the glamour and charm of Banarasis.
Traditional Banarasi sarees are specifically made in four types of fabrics that include pure silk, organza, Georgette, and Shatir. And, these are artistically filled with brocade designs of flowers like chameli, panna hazar, genda buti, and buits of betel leaves.
Originally, Bararasi sarees were designed with threads dipped in real gold and silver liquids as these were basically used by the royal families. These days, the real gold and silver coated threads are replaced by golden and silver coloured threads that are made especially for Banarasi sarees.
You could pair your saree with a sweater, or you could vary things up and wear a blouse with a high neckline instead. Adding a sweater to your costume that has sequins or even just a small bit of glitter in it can make your saree appear really lovely, and it will also provide your ensemble with a new and unique layer of dimension.
Cotton sarees are best to wear in the hot summer months, but they are also comfortable to wear in the rainy months. Because of this, you can wear a cotton saree any time of year. Cotton sarees are a great choice for formal events.
Two essential pieces of garments, that go alongwith the Sari, need to be chosen carefully to compliment the Sari. These are:
A petticoat - which is a waist-to-floor garment, tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring. The petticoat color should match the base sari color as closely as possible. No part of the petticoat, of course, is visible outside the Sari, after having worn it.
A blouse - which needs to be tight-fitting and whose color needs to be chosen keeping the look of the sari in mind, can be short sleeved or sleeveless, with a variety of necklines. The blouse ends just below the bust.
Start wearing the sari by tucking its plain/upper end into the petticoat, at a position which is a little bit to the right of the navel. Make sure that the lower end of the sari should be touching the floor, and that the whole length of the sari comes on the left-hand side. Now wrap the sari around yourself once, with the sari now coming back in the front, on your right side.
Make about 5 to 7 pleats of equal width of 5 inches, starting at the tucked-in end. Gather the pleats together, neatly, ensuring that the lower edge of the pleats are even and just off the ground and that the pleats fall straight and evenly. A safety pin may be used to stop the pleats from scattering.
Neatly tuck the pleats into the petticoat, at the waist, slightly to the left of the navel, in such a manner that they open to your left.
Drape the remaining fabric around yourself once more left to right, and bring it round your hips to the front, holding the top edge of the sari.
Slightly raise the remaining portion of the Sari on your back, bringing it up under the right arm and over the left shoulder so that the end of the Sari falls to about the level of your knees.
The end portion thus draped, from the left shoulder onwards, is called the Pallav or the Pallu, and can be prevented from slipping off teh shoulder, by fastening it at the shoulder to the blouse with a small safety pin.
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