A characteristic feature of the traditional brocades of Varanasi is the use of gold or silver zari along with coloured silks to create various motifs. The zari used for weaving is of a special kind and has been produced in Varanasi for centuries.
in Interview
Agrawal, Yashodhara. 2003. Silk Brocades. New Delhi: Roli Books.
Ali, Abdullah Yusuf. 1900. A Monograph on Silk Fabrics Produced in the Northwestern Provinces and Oudh. Allahabad: N.W. Provinces and Oudh Government Press.
Basole, Amit. 2016. 'Spare Change for Spare Time? Homeworking Women in…
in Bibliography
In Varanasi, before the advent of jacquard looms, weaving was done on jala looms. A ‘jala’ is a kind of frame on which the design is first created using threads by nakshabands (pattern-makers). This is attached to the loom as a master harness. Some master weavers still use the jala loom in Varanasi.
in Interview
The use of gold and silver zari is a characteristic feature of the brocades of Varanasi. Shyam Sunder Jaiswal of Vishwanath Prasad Zari Manufacturers, Varanasi, talks about the history, techniques and usage of zari (traditional gold and silver thread) in brocade weaving.
in Interview