Kancheepuram Silk

Kancheepuram silk is a heavy, lustrous mulberry-silk saree woven in the ancient temple town of Kancheepuram, long regarded as the queen of South Indian silks. Weavers use thick, twisted pure silk yarn interwoven with genuine zari made of silk thread wound with silver and gilded in gold, and the celebrated durability comes from the korvai technique in which the contrasting border and body are woven separately and interlocked by hand. Motifs are drawn from temple architecture and nature such as the mango, peacock, rudraksha, checks and temple-gopuram borders, echoing the town's Pallava and Chola heritage. A single saree can take many days on the loom and is traditionally woven by families of the Saligar and Devanga weaving communities. Passed down as heirlooms and worn at weddings and festivals, the saree sustains tens of thousands of weaving households and remains a proud symbol of Tamil craftsmanship.