GIPRODUCTS

Chanderi sarees

Chanderi sarees are traditional hand-woven sarees from Chanderi, a town in Madhya Pradesh, India. These sarees are known for their transparency, pure texture and intricate patterns and have been made for over 500 years. They owe their unique quality to the use of single-thread yarn, which retains its natural adhesive and gives them a distinctive texture not found in other fabrics. Chanderi fabrics are recognised as a product with a geographical indication (GI), which guarantees their authenticity and heritage.

  • The sarees are hand-woven on traditional looms with transparent cotton or silk yarn.
  • They often feature small or large motifs called butis and buttas, which are woven with needles. A popular pattern is the Asharfi buti, which was originally made with gold and silver zari.
  • Chanderi sarees are known for their longevity as the butis retain their shape over time.
  • The quality of a saree is determined by its “riet” (threads per inch in the warp) and “weft” (threads per inch in the weft).
  • Chanderi has been a centre of weaving since the 11th century and attained great importance during the Mughal period.
  • The sarees are made by traditional weavers using silk yarn from China or Korea and cotton yarn from Coimbatore or Jaipur.
  • The weaving process involves several steps, including dyeing, warping, jala tying (setting the pattern) and weaving, which are often carried out by experienced family weavers.
  • Chanderi fabrics are known for their elegant borders, beautiful pallav patterns and intricate decorative effects created with additional weft threads.
  • After weaving, the sarees are ready for sale and do not require any further processing.
  • The government of Madhya Pradesh monitors quality control, stamps the products and issues authenticity cards to the weavers.
  • Organisations such as the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) support the weavers with training and market strategies.
  • The Chanderi Development Foundation has successfully applied for the registration of Chanderi fabrics as a GI product, thereby ensuring their recognition and protection.
  • These dresses are admired worldwide for their sophistication, comfort and timeless appeal.