Where can i buy real silk in Varanasi

ploink

This thread makes me itch for sari shopping!
Such fantastic information - thanks! Nick, you could start a personal sari shopper service! I have two cotton saris from Nalli, Bangalore.

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Nick-H

...and Suja

Tussar silk is like paper: crisply and rustly! Buy some for a shirt, blouse or kurta.

Fabrics off-the-roll (like tussar or raw silk) are available in wondrous colours at a fraction of the UK cost --- I checked out raw silk in John Lewis in London one day and was horrified!

These are all high-maintenance fabrics though; many will need dry-cleaning, though a few require it only for the first wash.

But then, you probably wouldn't chuck your designer evening dress in the washing machine either!

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Wanderer22

Here's a good link for information on Indian silk....
http://www.indiansilk.kar.nic.in/

I finally found the difference between Mulberry, Tasar, Muga and Eri silk....
http://www.indiansilk.kar.nic.in/body_silk.html


W22

Nick-H

Interesting!

And, until just now, I thought that all commercial silk came from just one species!

goangoangone

How do you keep a silk shirt looking good, washing, ironing etc? I haven't had silk for years but remember it was a nightmare to look after.

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Nick-H

My problem here is that, so far, every dry cleaner I've tried has made the stuff dirtier than it was before

But, if it is washable, 'high-maintenace', in India, translates into 'low labour cost'

goangoangone

I don't want to go to a dry cleaner every time I sweat.

organicshroom

I got taken for a ride yesterday in Varanasi It was certainly a learning experience tho......Even after all the warnings about the ripoff artists here, I still fell for it, and I believe its hard NOT too. There is such a complex web of con men here(in the silk/sari business at least), many tourists just end up being another fly stuck in the web. Who to trust ah?

Anyway out of interest sake I paid 2500 rupies for what I thought was a 100% silk Sari. It is beautiful and I love it, so I guess I'm just gonna let it go and move on. I got so caught up on who to trust, that at the end I couldn't even trust my friendly hotel owner (who probably had a brother who owned a Sari shop). I reccomend to do the burn test with a lighter, best way to tell. DON'T follow anyone who approachs you in the street, regardless of how kind he is. There is NO goverenment shop as what your friendly guide says, and an honest man stated 80% of the claimed pure silk in Varanasi is fake (synthetic, or semi).

All part of the fun...

freenote

Right ... Head down to the main ghat , it begins with a " D " hang a right ( at this point it is Handy to do a quick Puja !!!! ),Carry on walking to you arrive at the old burning ghat which is in the shadow of the government crematorium .Hang around for a look and you will be approached by someone (tout ) who will explain all .Asked to be taken to "prem silk " ,witch should be on his list and there you will find beautiful stuff to take home !!we have used this method twice and not been disappointed .......Enjoy

Nick-H

Shame. We paid about 400 rupees for a beautiful sari honestly labelled and sold as cotton-silk, last week.

Go to the big shops or the government shops (there are state emporia, etc) where there is fixed price and many local people buying. I'm not saying it never happens, but places like that could have their business destroyed if they were caught selling fake stuff.

How did you decide it was not silk?

Can't say that I have ever tested anything, although I've bought stuff regularly over the years. These days, my wife is not so fond of silk anyway, finding too hot. There's lot of beautiful cotton saris available.

rajnag

Silk saree cost depends on the uniqueness of the design and the size and complexity of the border design.
Grand borders costs a lot. This comes from a guy who has gone saree shopping more than he cares to remember.
Enough said !

austin07

This silk shop owner in Varanasi told me that if you burnt the thread of pure silk, it will smell like burnt hair and the ashes will feel very soft and fine. If it is not pure silk, it will smell like plastic and the ashes will feel hard.

Spent the whole afternoon in his shop learning about things! His shop is called Silk Paradise, just outside Hotel Temple on the Ganges at Assi Ghat. The prices are fixed but the prices are definately lower than those at the bazaars for similar items.

Also, be careful of being approached by shopowners (especially in the bazaars) who will tell you ANYTHING to get you to purchase their items. Sadly, I fell for their traps and bought heaps of 'silk' scarves before learning that it was fake later on. He told me that silk scarves could go through a ring easily to which was completely rubbish!

Nick-H

... oh yes, artificial fibres are so fine too, and a heavy silk weave might not pass his 'test!

Rasika

Just make sure the saree is of the right height, especially if your GF is tall. Many sarees don't fit me, and there are some types which are shorter than others.

madan80

the con also is a subtle dfference between govt emporiums and "Govt Approved". Thats where they get the gulliable customers.

There are genuine Governtment enterprises that work mainly with village folks to bring out handicrafts. They are usually well advertised as "A Government of India Undertaking" or "A government of XXXX Enterprise" where xxxx stands for that state. In chennai you have Khadigram, Co-Optex etc that have some really nice silk stuff. Got a lot for my wedding from there.

Best advice.. NEVER buy on impulse. Go through several shops.. check for a few things- how is the infrastructure... Good silk shops will have clean counters (that ensures that the sarees do not get dirty). All the people working there will be bare feet, and most importantly, the sales folks are VERY patient. the minute you hit a salesperson who is impatient... best advice - walk away... go to another shop. (This could also be true if the shop is really crowded - but then if its crowded, you know its popular! )
again - if you wre in chennai, could have given you a list of a a zillion places to shop, but i am cluless bout baneras.

Also nick- the next time my wife wants to go saree shopping.. you are getting a call (cant stand saree shopping!)

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