"Banarasi" isn't one fabric — it's a whole family of weaves, each with its own name, history and feel. Here's a guide to the most important ones.
When someone says "a Banarasi saree," they could mean a heavy gold brocade fit for a wedding, a sheer tissue that floats like water, or a densely patterned silk with not a thread of gold in it. Over the centuries the weavers of Varanasi gave each of these its own name. Knowing a few of them changes the way you shop, the way each generation pronounce and the name changes as in chinese whisper game. Here are the great Banarasi weaves, in plain language.
Kimkhab and zarbaft — the great brocades
At the top sits kimkhab (also spelt kinkhab or kamkhwab) — the richest Banarasi brocade, so heavily worked in gold and silver zari that very little of the base silk shows through. The name is often read as "a little dream": cloth so fine it could only be dreamt of. Its close cousin is zarbaft — literally "woven with gold" — traditionally made with a warp of fine katan silk and a heavier weft, every surface alive with metal thread. These are the weaves that built Banaras's reputation in the Mughal courts, and they remain the language of bridal and ceremonial dressing.
Amru — brocade without the gold
Not every brocade glitters. Amru is woven entirely in coloured silk threads instead of zari, so the patterns are raised in silk against silk. It gives you all the richness of brocade weaving with a softer, quieter surface — and historically it was favoured where pure-zari cloth was either too costly or, for some communities, not preferred. If you love the texture of a brocade but not the shine, amru is the one to look for.
Handloom Banarasi Katan Silk Resham Rangkat Saree
Bafta and the lighter brocades
Between the heavy kimkhab and the plain silks sit the lighter brocades. Bafta (or pot-than) is a silk cloth touched with gold and silver in places rather than all over — woven mostly in coloured silk, with metal thread used sparingly and little heavy decoration. It's the everyday face of the brocade family: dressy, but easy to wear.
Ab-e-rawan and tissue — cloth like water
The most poetic name in the Banarasi vocabulary is ab-e-rawan — "flowing water." It describes a fine, near-transparent silk net, light as muslin, with borders and motifs picked out in gold or silver. Today we'd simply call it tissue: that liquid, shimmering cloth that catches the light as you move. It is still woven, much of it in the Madanpura quarter of Varanasi, and it is the weave to reach for when you want lightness and shine in equal measure.
Tanchoi — the weave with a Chinese soul
Few Banarasi weaves have a story like tanchoi. It is a satin-textured silk covered edge to edge in fine pattern, woven with coloured silk wefts and — classically — no zari at all, so the design seems to rise out of the cloth itself. Both the name and the technique are said to have come from China in the nineteenth century, learnt by three Parsi brothers known as the "Chhui," who carried it home; "tan-choi" is read as the work of those Chhui. It became a favourite of the Parsi community, and it remains one of the most distinctive things Varanasi weaves.
Tanchoi Saree in Chocolate Brown - Khinkhwab
Jangla, butidar and the patterned styles
Some Banarasi names describe the pattern rather than the cloth. Jangla (from jangal, a forest) is an all-over design of dense, trailing vines and flowers that wanders across the whole saree like undergrowth — one of the oldest and most beloved Banarasi layouts. Butidar means "with butis" — scattered with individual small motifs, set close for a rich look or spaced out for a quieter one. And cutwork is the lighter, more affordable patterned style we explain in full in our piece on kadwa versus cutwork.
The curiosities — cochin, mashru and tar-badala
The family runs deeper still. Cochin also knows as Gyesar is a Banarasi imitation of Tibetan and Chinese brocade, woven in Alaipura and exported toward Nepal and Tibet — the name a corruption of a Tibetan word for brocade. Mashru is a cotton-and-silk mix, satiny on top and cotton against the skin, historically woven so that those who preferred not to wear pure silk next to the body still could. And tar-badala is the most dazzling of all: cloth whose warp or weft is made of flattened gold or silver wire itself — fabric that is, quite literally, woven metal.
Gyaser Banarasi Fabric - Khinkhwab
How to choose
There's no "best" weave — only the right one for the occasion. For a wedding or an heirloom, the gold-rich kimkhab and zarbaft. For festive wear with movement and shine, a tissue. For understated richness, amru or a fine butidar. The joy of a Banarasi is that it isn't a single thing — it's centuries of invention, with a weave for every mood. You can see many of these across our handwoven collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive type of Banarasi?
Generally the heavy gold brocades — kimkhab and zarbaft — along with pure tar-badala cloth woven with real gold or silver wire. The cost comes from the amount of zari used and the time the weaving takes.
What is the difference between kimkhab and tanchoi?
Kimkhab is a heavy brocade densely worked in gold and silver zari. Tanchoi is a satin-textured silk patterned all over with coloured silk threads and traditionally no zari at all — rich in design, but without the metallic shine.
What is tissue (ab-e-rawan)?
Ab-e-rawan, meaning "flowing water," is a very fine, near-transparent silk with gold or silver detailing — what's known today as tissue. It is prized for being light and luminous at once.
Is amru a real Banarasi?
Yes. Amru is a traditional Banarasi brocade woven entirely in silk threads rather than zari, so the patterns are raised in silk against silk. It's a classic choice for anyone who loves brocade texture without the gold.
Where are these weaves made?
Almost all are woven in Varanasi (Banaras), with particular quarters known for particular cloths — Madanpura for fine brocade, organza, katan and tissue, and Alaipura for satin, cochin and innovative work.
Sources & further reading
This guide draws on the government study Dream of Weaving: Study & Documentation of Banaras Sarees and Brocades (Textiles Committee, Government of India, 2007), which profiles the principal Banarasi cloth types, and on standard works on Banaras textiles including Tarannum Fatma Lari, Textiles of Banaras: Yesterday and Today (Indica Books, 2010); Rai Anand Krishna & Vijay Krishna, Banaras Brocades (Crafts Museum, 1966); and Jaya Jaitly, Woven Textiles of Varanasi (2014).
