History of Banarasi saree is deeply rooted in the tradition and culture of India. Banarasi saree is made in Varanasi, the city which is called Banaras also. These sarees are very fine or may be one of the finest sarees in India which are not only made of finely woven silk, but also at the same time relatively heavy in weight because of its intricate designs and engravings which are of zari or brocade. In fact, Banarasi sarees are famous for their gold and silver brocade or zari work, fine silk and opulent embroidery. Designs of Banarasi sarees are imbibed from Mughal art which shows intertwining floral and foliate motifs, Kalka and string of leaves called jhallar at the outer etc. Other important features are gold or silver work, compact weaving, figures with minor details, pallus and mina work. Weavers take 15 days to a month and at times up to 6 months to complete one saree depending on the intricacy of its design.
When a bride selects a Banarasi saree for her wedding she goes through the variety of Banarasi sarees and then makes her selection. There are Katan, georgette, brocade, tissue, korial, tassar and organza Banarasi sarees available in boutiques and prestigious showrooms. Tussar Banarasi is also a very chosen one for its unique elegant look that is suitable for all ages. When the bride decides to wear a traditional attire she can never go wrong with one age-old handloom of Banaras. In India it is believed that a bride with Banarasi saree in her wedding trousseau will always rule like a queen in her home. There are certain things need to be observed while choosing a Banarasi saree for bridal. The time of the ceremony is a very important factor for deciding the color of bride’s Banarasi saree. Normally women opt for red sarees but for morning wedding one can also choose colors like peach, powder blue, lime green on any other pastel shades. For evening ceremony the bride should go for a dark color like red, orange, rust, yellow etc.
The body structure is another important factor in this context. If the bride is tall and slim she should opt for larger motifs, bold, and heavy borders. If she is short or slightly on the heavier side, it will look very elegant if she goes for vertical motifs, narrow border, and light colors on her bridal Banarasi saree. Complexion matters a lot in selecting bridal saree. Whitish complexion looks gorgeous with bright shades while paler complexion looks better with lighter shades. And with dusky complexion bride should select any of rich and dark shades on Banarasi saree. Banarasi saree and Indian tradition are so much intermingled that these can never be separated in the wedding ceremony for a bride. As an Indian wedding is famous for its pre as well as post wedding rituals, the bride goes for Banarasi sarees for all rituals including her special bridal evening. Banarasi saree makes the bride look gorgeous and beautiful on the wedding night. In fact, the bride will carry the sweet memory of her special day all along her journey of life in which Banarasi saree will play a very major role as a retrospective.
