Uttar Pradesh, the rainbow land, has blossomed several multi-hued traditional silk handlooms. The pride of all is this nine-yard-long Banarasi saree, whose footprints go back as far as the 14th century.
The most popular tell-tale behind the saree’s popularity is how the Mughal emperor Akbar took a fancy to the silky and lustrous texture of the fabric. It explains why the Banarasi silk saree’s special characteristics are Mughal-inspired designs, such as intricate floral and foliate, motifs kalga, and bel.
Interestingly, the Banarasi silk is also mentioned in the Mahabharata and the Buddhist scriptures in the first millennium. No wonder the fabric is deeply rooted in undivided Bharat’s rich cultural history and artistic expressions.
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