Kanchipuram Silk: The weave of the Gods

My Story

The first sari I ever wore, belonged to my mother. Sunshine yellow with a deep maroon border, as my mother pleated it for me and put pins in the right places, I couldn’t help but notice the look in her eyes as she helped me get ready. ‘Be careful with it, it’s Kanchipuram silk, and it’s almost as old as you’ she said. 18 years old at the time, I could not believe that this sari was that old, it looked as if it had been bought just yesterday. As my mother pleated and wrapped the 6 yards of fabric around me, I felt grown up. Perhaps it was the understanding that she had just shared a valuable family heirloom with me, or the grace I felt as the silk cocooned me, I had never felt more royal in my life. As she helped me get ready, my mother told me a story;

In the age of the Gods, there was a rishi by the name of Markand. He knew all of the preferences of all of the gods, he had to; he wove all their clothes you see.

A master of his craft, Rishi Markand weaved magical silk, and spun the tales and myths of the gods in gold thread into the fabric he created.

Many centuries later, his descendants settled in the small town of Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. They continued to weave silk the same way their ancestors did, in bold vibrant colours. Women wore these saris at special moments in their lives; and no event was complete without them. As these Kanchipuram saris stood the test of time, they were passed down generations of women, becoming family heirlooms along the way.

As the story finished, I turned to look in the mirror and touched the fabric, I knew this had to be a weave of the Gods. Since then I’ve bought my own Kancheepuram Silk Sarees from Mysore Saree Udyog, my favourite is hands down a cream coloured saree with an intricate golden border and golden details through the rest of the 6 yards of beautiful silk fabric. Not only is the saree special to me, but buying my first saree at Mysore Saree Udyog with my mother was a moment that I will never forget, and I look forward to the day that I will be able to do the same thing with my own daughter. In fact my saree can be found on the website

How it's made

Kanchipuram silk sarees are handwoven with mulberry silk that has been dyed various colours, the silk woven together with golden thread or ‘zari’. It takes between 10 and 20 days, and up to 3 weavers to make 1 sari! The best quality of silk for these sari comes from the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. As you can imagine, for a sari to be passed through generations the fabric must be stronger than other silks available on the market, the strength of the fabric and the variety in the designs makes a Kanchipuram silk saree a must have for every woman. There’s no better place to get one than at Mysore Saree Udyog, they sell real ‘zari’ sarees not just in a lot of different colours but suited to a number of different occasions. Due to the amount of skill and work that goes into the creation of this sari, it ranges in price, a simple Kanchipuram silk sari starts at Rs2,500 and goes up depending on the design, the zari and the intricacy of the pallu and the order. You can find an unbelievable variety of ‘zari’ sarees here website

Quality Control

You can tell whether a sari is authentic and made from real Kanchipuram silk by the finesse with which it is made and the weight of the sari itself. Look for designs of the sun, the moon, royal chariots and animals such as lions, peacocks, parrots and swans. Designs vary from simple mangoes and dots on the body and the pallu of the sari, to depictions of temples on the entire pallu in contrasting colours and tones. But being able to tell whether a saree is authentic can be tricky, even when you have the right designs, at the Mysore Saree Udyog that is one thing I don’t have to worry about at all. All there sarees come with a ‘Pure Silk Mark’ that gives me the satisfaction that I’m buying the real deal. For more information on the silk mark and to learn more about the different kinds of silk check out this link on the website.

The variety of saris at Mysore Saree Udyog is incredible, and buying Kanchipuram silk is truly considered an investment. The magic of Kanchipuram saris extends far beyond the mastery of its creation, these saris weave their own magic into the lives of many women across many homes. The magic of these saris lives in tradition. Kanchipuram saris are not just depictions of myths and stories of gods, they are more than just designs and colours, these saris are what we inherit from the women in our family, and no one ever forgets the first time the wear a Kanchipuram silk sari.