Banarasi sarees  are of fine silk weave with elaborate golden embroidery along the border or all over. It is ranked among the finest traditional sarees of India. These sarees are heavy due to its rich embroidery and are donned by Indian women only during special occasions like wedding, parties and festivals.

The tradition of making Banarasi sarees in Varanasi is very ancient. The art of weaving has passed down from one generation to another and continues to flourish. One will find thousands of weavers making the Banarasi silk saree in this scared city even today. The training usually begins at a very tender age of 10. It is believed that the making of Varanasi saree gained prominence during the Mughal rule. Persian motifs were fudged with Indian designs on silk to create the distinct flowery patterns which are typical of Banarasi sarees even today.

In the past the silk for these sarees were imported from China, but nowadays they come mainly from Bangalore in South India. Earlier these sarees were woven with gold or silver threads with intricate designs… This made the sarees very heavy and took more than a year’s time to complete…More over the sarees costed several lakhs of rupees, hence making it affordable only to the royal families. Once weaving with simple threads came into prominence, the cost of the sarees have come down, today even an Indian with average income can afford a Banarasi saree.

Brides especially from the eastern and northern parts of India are donned in red Banarasi saree   and gold jewellery. Red is said to be auspicious for newly married couples and heavy gold jewellery complements the Banarasi saree.