As the name suggests, Kanjivaram saree is a magnificent creation originated from a small temple town Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. They are also known as Kanchipuram sarees. These sarees are a product of many cottage crafts of Kanchipuram. Kanjivaram is known for its special weaving technique where three single silk threads are used along with the single thick Zari thread.

Pure Zari is made of red silk thread that is twisted with a silver thread and then dipped in 22-carat pure gold. Two people are needed to weave a Kanjivaram saree. In an original Kanjivaram saree, the saree field and pallu are woven separately and then delicately interlocked together. These sarees are traditional two-piece sarees woven from a super fine variety of pure mulberry silk. The part where the body and the pallu meets is often weaved by a zig-zag line. The pallu is woven luxuriously. It is the main attraction of the saree. The motifs are drawn from the nature of peacock, parrot, leaves, lion, mangoes, nightingales, Rudraksha beads and temples. The zari borders are intricate and sarees are on the whole royal.

Mostly the border is in a different sharp contrast color with the body of the saree. Sometimes the pallu is also woven in a different shade. These traditional sarees are available in a wide palette of exciting contrast vibrant colors like orange and blue, red and green and golden and red. These sarees are famous for their colors and durability.

Kanjivaram silk sarees are believed to be the most superior silk sarees in the world. They are not only beautiful but expensive too.It takes weeks and weeks of toil to make just a single kanjivaram saree. The special technique, the duration of weaving and the amount of Zari intertwined with the silk decides the price of the saree. It can cost up to Rupees 50,000 or more. If the silk saree costs Rs 8,000 or even less, it can certainly not to be a pure kanjivaram.

To identify a pure Kanjivaram, you can conduct a simple test. Pluck out a few threads from the saree and light a fire at the end of the threads. After burning, a ball of ash will be left behind. Rub this ball on your hand and smell it. If it smells like a burnt hair or a burnt leather, it will be a pure kanjivaram saree. You can also look for the label ‘Silk Mark’ that is awarded only to pure kanjivaram silk sarees by the Silk Board of India to check the genuineness. Also the government, in Kanchipuram, has established a zari test facility for a nominal fee of Rs 40 to confirm if the saree is original or not.

South Indian women surely have these sarees in their wardrobes. They wear it on all auspicious occasions and festivals. South Indian brides also get married in these beautiful stunning sarees which are elegant and heavily woven. A typical bridal Kanjivaram saree has intricate zari thread work all over which gives the saree a rich golden look. The brides look gorgeous and attractive in these sarees.

Different regions in India have an influence on draping styles of saree. The most common style of draping Kanjivaram is to tuck it at the waist into a petticoat, pleat and wrap it below the waist like a long skirt till toes and throw the pallu over the shoulder covering the upper body wearing a blouse. This style of draping originally belongs to Andhra Pradesh. Other draping styles that exist in India are Bengali, Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Dravidian, Gond etc.

Tamil Nadu is the home for buying Kanjivarams. The major hot spots to buy these sarees are Nalli, Kumaran Silks, Chennai Silks, RMKV, and others. You can find their outlets in major cities also other than those in Tamil Nadu.

So be ready to shop a Kanjivaram for you and feel stunning. Make your events special and cherished with this addition to your wardrobe.