Silk weaving is a manufacturing industry in Varanasi. Varanasi is known throughout India for its production of very fine silk and

Banarasi sari A Banarasi sari is a sari made in Varanasi, an ancient city which is also called Benares (Banaras). The saris are among the finest saris in India and are known for their gold and silver brocade or zari, fine silk and opulent embroidery. The sa ...

Overview

Weaving is typically done within the household, and most weavers in Varanasi are

Momin Ansari The Momin Ansari ( ur, مومن أنصاري) or saudagar are a Muslim community found mainly in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The surname originated from Ansar tribe, the Medinan people who helped the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, in his m ...

Muslims. Many of Varanasi's Muslims belong to a

weaver Weaver or Weavers may refer to: Activities * A person who engages in weaving fabric Animals * Various birds of the family Ploceidae * Crevice weaver spider family * Orb-weaver spider family * Weever (or weever-fish) Arts and entertainment ...

community that known by the name of

Ansari Ansari may refer to: People *Ansar (Islam), an Islamic term that literally means "helpers" and denotes the Medinan citizens that helped the Islamic prophet Muhammad after the Hijra *Ansari (nesba), people known as Ansari or Al-Ansari as a nesba * ...

, which means "helper" in Arabic. For generations they have passed on their craft from father to son, hand-weaving silk on room-sized foot-powered looms. They are fashioned into Sarees worn only for special occasions; many Indian girls dream of wearing Varanasi silk Saree for their wedding day. Varanasi saris are adorned with intricate designs and zari embellishments making it popular during traditional functions and weddings. Earlier, the embroidery on sarees were often done with threads of pure gold. In 2009, weaver associations and cooperatives together secured Geographical Indication (GI) rights for ‘Banaras Brocades and Sarees’. This silk is used in large part for the production of

s, which are a regional type of sari made from silk. there are roughly 40,000 weavers in Varanasi, down from 300,000. Some attribute the decline to lower demand of Saris or higher number of imported Saris. Others suggest that power looms played a role. Varanasi has a high rate of

Child labour Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...

given the unorganised nature of small scale industries. According to Human Rights Watch, it is common for children as young as 5 or 6 to begin working in industry because it is believed to be more efficient to teach them from a very young age rather than teaching an older child of 12 the trade.

References

{{reflist Silk production Economy of Varanasi Indian weavers Textile arts of India Textile industry of India Silk in India

Overview

See also

References