Pink-Peacock Handloom Banarasi Sari with Brocaded Hand-woven Kadhwa Floral Motifs All-over and Heavy Pallu
Dry clean only. Store folded in a soft muslin pouch away from direct sunlight to keep the sheen alive.
Description
Pure Silk<br>Weaver Ansar Ali. Blouse/Underskirt Tailormade to Size
Complete your look
Hand-picked pieces that sing gently with this one.
Behind this piece
Varanasi has woven silk for over a thousand years, and the kadhwa technique sits at the very heart of that tradition. Unlike cut-work brocade, kadhwa motifs are woven shuttle by shuttle, each floral repeat built directly into the fabric without a single extra thread left floating at the back. The peacock, long a symbol of grace in subcontinental iconography, here unfolds across blush silk in a pink that carries the warmth of rose quartz. Weaver Ansar Ali works within a lineage of Muslim karigar families whose mastery of Banarasi zari and figural motifs has defined the city's textile identity for generations.
How to style
For a morning wedding ceremony, pair this sari with a raw-silk ivory blouse in a deep round neck and flat gold Kolhapuri sandals. At an evening reception, a velvet full-sleeved blouse in deep plum honours the heaviness of the pallu without competing with it; finish with uncut polki earrings. For a winter cultural gathering, drape the pallu in a Gujarati style, pin it at the shoulder, and layer a fine Pashmina stole over the arms. Across all three occasions, keep the hair simply dressed so the kadhwa surface remains the conversation.
Fabric & care
Pure silk woven with zari requires dry cleaning after every two or three wears. If spot-cleaning at home, use cold water and a very small amount of mild silk-safe cleanser, working with the grain of the weave, never against it. After wearing, air the sari in shade for an hour before folding. Store in a soft cotton muslin cloth, never plastic, and refold along different lines every few months to prevent permanent crease damage. Place a small piece of dried neem between folds to deter insects. Handled this way, a Banarasi kadhwa sari outlasts generations.
More from sarees
Reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share your thoughts.
From the Journal
Stories about the craft, the loom, and the wearing of a piece like this one.
