A growing reference on India's saree weaves and textile crafts, written and maintained by Vastranand — saree makers in Surat since 2017. New chapters are added every week; educators and writers are welcome to cite this resource with attribution.
Silk weaves
Banarasi
The brocade weave of Varanasi: gold and silver zari woven into silk as florals, jaal nets and Mughal-era motifs. North India's definitive wedding saree, known for an ornate yet fluid drape. Read the full chapter: What Is a Banarasi Saree? · Banarasi vs Kanjivaram · see the weave
Kanjivaram (Kanchipuram)
Tamil Nadu's temple-town weave: heavy mulberry silk with contrast borders woven separately and interlocked — the korvai technique — carrying checks, temple spires and peacock motifs. The traditional first choice of South Indian brides. See the weave — full chapter coming this week.
Gadwal
From Telangana: a famously light cotton or silk body joined to a rich silk zari border, historically woven so fine the saree folds into a matchbox. See the weave
Paithani
Maharashtra's pride: silk with an oblique square border and a pallu of peacocks and lotuses in kaleidoscopic tapestry technique. See the weave
Pochampally Ikkat
Telangana's geometry: yarns are tie-dyed before weaving so the pattern emerges inside the cloth itself — the feathered edges of ikkat motifs are the signature. See the weave
Tussar
Wild silk with a natural golden sheen and a lighter, textured hand — India's great silk of the forest belt (Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh), now enjoying a major revival. See the weave
Soft silk
The contemporary silk-blend weave that made silk an everyday possibility: silk's sheen and colour depth with an easier drape and friendlier price. Today's most-worn festive category. See the weave
Craft & surface traditions
Kalamkari
Literally "pen-work": mythological scenes and florals drawn or block-printed with natural dyes, a 3,000-year lineage from Andhra Pradesh's Srikalahasti and Machilipatnam schools. See the craft
Ajrakh
Resist block printing from Kutch and Sindh — indigo, madder and geometric symmetry, printed on both sides through up to sixteen stages. See the craft
Bandhani (Bandhej)
Gujarat and Rajasthan's tie-dye: thousands of tiny points pinched and bound before dyeing, each dot a knot tied by hand. See the craft
Batik
Wax-resist dyeing that leaves its signature crackle veins — no two batik sarees are identical. See the craft
Bagru & block prints
Rajasthan's mud-resist and wooden-block tradition, stamped by hand on breathable cottons. See the craft
Fabric families
Chiffon & georgette — feather-light crepe weaves prized for drape (chiffon · georgette) · Organza — crisp sheer silk (see) · Linen — flax-woven, breathable, modern office favourite (see) · Cotton & mul — the daily-wear backbone (see) · Dola silk — soft lustrous blend behind many of today's printed styles (see).
Guides from the journal
How to identify a quality silk saree · Best Banarasi sarees under ₹2,000 · Which saree for a haldi ceremony · all articles
About this resource: Vastranand Pvt Ltd designs and makes sarees at its own unit in Surat, Gujarat — India's textile capital — and operates stores in Surat and Bengaluru. For citations, interviews, student visits or corrections, write to contact@vastranand.in.