Banarasi Sarees — GI Certified, Handwoven in Varanasi
Find Your Perfect Banarasi Weave
Pick an occasion — we'll point you to the weave that suits it best.
Katan Silk
Rich, smooth, with a soft sheen — the classic choice for weddings and big rituals.
Shop Katan Silk sarees→GI Certified · Handwoven by 4th-generation artisans in Varanasi
Asli vs Nakli — How to Identify a Real Banarasi Saree
Power-loom copies are sold online as "Banarasi" every day. Before you buy from anywhere — here is exactly how our weavers in Varanasi tell a real handwoven saree from a machine-made one.
The Back-Side Weave Check
Turn the saree over. On a real handloom Banarasi, the back looks almost identical to the front — slightly raised threads, a few visible loose ends from hand-weaving. On a power-loom copy, the back is flat, smooth, and printed-looking, with no thread irregularity at all.
Real: textured backThe Zari Rub Test
Gently rub the zari (gold/silver thread) between two fingers. Real zari, even modern "tested zari," has a slightly rough, metallic feel and won't shed colour. Fake zari (plastic-coated) feels slippery-smooth and sometimes leaves a gold or silver tint on your fingers.
Fake: shiny, sheds colourThe Burn Test (Small Thread Sample)
Pull one loose thread from the inner seam (never the main fabric) and burn it briefly. Pure silk curls, smells like burnt hair, and turns to fine ash. Polyester/art-silk melts into a hard plastic bead and smells like burnt plastic.
Real: ash, hair-like smellQuick Comparison: Real Handloom vs Power-Loom Copy
| What to Check | Real Handwoven Banarasi | Power-Loom / Machine Copy |
|---|---|---|
| Weaving time | 15–45 days per saree, by hand on a pit loom | A few hours on a power loom |
| Pattern repeat | Tiny natural irregularities between motifs | Every motif is perfectly identical |
| Price (Katan/Kora silk) | Usually ₹25,000 and above for genuine zari work | Often under ₹8,000 — too cheap for real silk + zari |
| Weaver's mark | Small thread knot or mark woven in by the karigar | No weaver's mark — mass produced |
| GI Tag | Genuine sellers can show a valid GI registration number | No GI tag, or a printed sticker with no real registration |
Every Panaya saree is handwoven by 4th-generation karigars in Varanasi and is GI certified. If you'd like, we're happy to walk you through these checks over a video call before you buy.
We Deliver Banarasi Sarees Across India
Our weavers work from Varanasi, but our sarees travel everywhere. Pick your city below and shop pure Katan, Kora, Tissue and Organza silk Banarasi sarees — packed with care and shipped right to your door.
Delhi NCR
Wedding & Festive Banarasi sarees
Mumbai
Bridal silk sarees, fast shipping
Bengaluru
Pure silk for every occasion
Kolkata
Authentic Varanasi weaves
Hyderabad
Katan & Tissue silk sarees
Chennai
Handwoven bridal collection
Pune
Real zari, GI certified silk
Lucknow
Close to home, quick delivery
Ahmedabad
Festive & wedding silk sarees
Jaipur
Royal weaves, royal city
Chandigarh
Bridal Katan silk sarees
Varanasi
Straight from our looms
Don't see your city? We ship across all of India.
SHOP BANARASI SAREES
Grey Tissue Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Light Green Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Aada
Peacock Color Katan Silk Saree - Kadwa Bird Booti
Blue Katan Silk Saree - Kadwa Bird Boota
Green Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Boota
Magenta Katan Silk Saree — Meena Jaal
Crimson Green Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Boota
Maroon Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Magenta Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Rombus Boota
Red Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Sikargha Jaal
Magenta Katan Silk Banarasi Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Wine Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Plain Konia
Peach Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Meena Jaal
Red Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Jaal
Black Cotton Banarasi Silk Saree - Kadwa Booti
Wine Katan Silk Saree - Kadwa Shikargh
Wine Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Aada Jaal
Blue Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Maroon Katan Silk Saree - Kadwa Shikargh
Light Peach Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti Meena
Powder Blue Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Flower Boota
Mehendi Green Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Flower Boota
Gold Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Blue Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Aada Design
Dark Purple Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Chameli Booti
Almond Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Yellow Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Mango Booti
Brown Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Mango Booti
Powder Green Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Flower Booti
Powder Blue Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Off-White Kora Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Yellow Organza Silk Saree — Kadwa Boota
Grey Georgette Silk Saree - Kadwa Jaal
Rust Orange Georgette Silk Saree — Cut Work Jaal
Red Tissue Silk Saree — Kadwa Jaal
Golden Tissue Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Onion Pink Tissue Silk Saree — Kadwa Jaal
Purple Tissue Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Lemon Pink Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Boota
Wine Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Darbar Booti
Black Katan Silk Saree — Tanchui Booti
Light Green Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Hot Pink Katan Silk Saree — Tanchui Meena Jaal
Blue Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Jaal Meena
Grey Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Magenta Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Meena Booti
Sea Green Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Booti
Red Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Flower Booti
Green Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Purple Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Booti
Maroon Katan Silk Saree — Kadwa Boota
Black Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Booti
Yellow Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Meena Jaal
Orange Peach Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Booti
Lemon Green Katan Silk Saree — Cut Work Booti
The Lanes of Varanasi Behind Every Panaya Saree
Your saree is not made in a factory. It is made in a narrow lane, on a hand loom, by a family that has been weaving for generations. Here are the actual mohallas (neighbourhoods) where our karigars live and work.
Lallapura
Known for: Katan silk & zari brocade weaving
One of the oldest weaving lanes in Varanasi. Our Katan silk sarees with heavy zari work come from a small group of looms here, run by families who have woven for over four generations.
"Aapki saree iss gali se aayi hai."
Madanpura
Known for: Tissue silk & fine Jaal patterns
A dense weaving neighbourhood where most homes still have a pit loom in the front room. Our tissue silk and intricate Jaal-pattern sarees are woven here, often taking over a month per piece.
"Aapki saree iss gali se aayi hai."
Alaipura
Known for: Kadwa booti & Tanchoi weaving
An old, historic weaving lane known for the Kadwa technique, where each motif is woven separately by hand instead of being repeated mechanically. Our Kora silk sarees with Kadwa booti work come from here.
"Aapki saree iss gali se aayi hai."
Jaitpura
Known for: Jamdani & brocade weaving
One of the oldest and most historic weaving zones in Varanasi, traditionally known for fine Jamdani and brocade work. Several of our heavier, festive-occasion sarees are woven by families settled in this lane.
"Aapki saree iss gali se aayi hai."
We work directly with karigars in these mohallas — no middlemen, no anonymous factories. When you buy from Panaya, you are buying directly from the family that wove it.