Kanchipuram Silk Sarees

Silk yarn is dyed, then the warp and weft are prepared separately. In the korvai method, the body warp and the contrasting border warp are joined by interlocking the threads, a labour-intensive process requiring two or three weavers at the loom. Zari — silver thread gilded with gold — is woven into the border and pallu motifs.

A single saree can take ten days to several weeks depending on the design. Motifs draw on temple architecture, including gopuram outlines, rudraksham, yali figures and checks known as kattam.

Weaving communities settled in Kanchipuram centuries ago under temple patronage, and the town remains home to thousands of handloom weavers. Kanchipuram silk holds a Geographical Indication tag. Authentic sarees carry a silk mark and are heavier than power-loom imitations because of the density of silk and zari used.

Kanchipuram, about 75 kilometres from Chennai, has weaver cooperative societies where you can see looms in operation and buy directly. Co-optex, the state handloom cooperative, has showrooms across Tamil Nadu. In Chennai, established silk houses in T. Nagar and Mylapore stock a wide range.