Techniques

 

Banaras has one of the oldest weaving traditions. Flowers and creepers cover the body of the cloth all over to create a lush and complex design. Only when an all over jaal is woven in full kadhua weave is the design called a Jangla.

Kadwa :

The patterns are incorporated using the complex and time-consuming Kadwa process. In Kadwa weaving, as opposed to other Banarasi handloom sarees, each motif is woven independently (also known as "phekwa" or cutwork sarees). There are no loose threads at the rear of Kadwa sarees, thus trimming is not necessary. This method makes it possible to weave a variety of designs on a single sari, something that would otherwise be quite challenging. On the handloom, this takes more time, but the resulting pattern is more robust and pops out on the fabric.

 Kadiyal :

The Kadiyal technique aids in achieving a border in a dramatically contrasting colour to the rest of the body of the garment, which is a marvel in handloom weaving in and of itself. This necessitates careful dyeing and setting of the warp in various colours, as well as repeated adjustments in the weft shuttle while weaving.

During the laborious hand-weaving process of meenakari, additional coloured resham threads are painstakingly added. In addition to the zari, this gives the pattern additional hues. Meenakari can be created using either the cutwork or the kadhua style.