Beyond Banarasi saris: a shopping guide to Varanasi

Shopping in Varanasi rewards patience. Yards of brocade saris woven in indigenous fabrics, prints, textures, and techniques need your undivided attention. A small enamelled ring or painted wooden toy, though, is designed with just as much precision as some of the Banarasi saris. Several crafts in Varanasi have Geographical Indication (GI) protection, including Banaras brocades and saris, Banaras gulabi meenakari (the distinctive pink-and-white enamel work, usually carried out on silver), Varanasi wooden lacquerware and toys, Banaras metal repousse craft, Varanasi glass beads and Banaras zardozi. For a pure-silk purchase, a Silk Mark is a separate and useful check on fibre content.

The addresses below range from conventional showrooms to homes and working ateliers. Book the appointment-only visits in advance, call smaller businesses before setting out, and keep extra time to get through old-city traffic and narrow lanes.

For Banarasi saris and fabric

Ushnakmal Moolchand

Ushnakmal Moolchand preserves the gaddi style of sari shopping: settle in, let the textiles unfold, and give yourself time to browse. Established in 1885, the family business moved from Lahore to Varanasi in 1947. Today, eighth-generation siblings Kamya and Saharsh Tandon work alongside their parents, Gautam and Neetu. The selection spans kadwa, jamdani, and kimkhwab, with multicoloured rangkat and graphic patterns offering plenty to explore beyond the familiar floral jaal. For running fabric, suits, and lehengas, they will guide you to the family’s second store in nearby New Market.

The Nod recommends: The blue katan silk polka stripe sari. Fine woven lines make a grid around small polka motifs—a welcome change if your sari collection already leans towards florals and paisleys.

Address: CK 24/18, first floor, Kunj Gali, Chowk, near Kashi Vishwanath Temple Gate No 4, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Saturday, 11:30 am to 8:30 pm; closed Sunday. Call +91 92148 17898/+91 98390 41660

Matin Banaras

In Peeli Kothi, Matin Banaras is a family-run address for handwoven saris and fabric with a history going back a hundred years. Ask for Imran bhai, the man behind the business, who is the best person to guide you through the different types of weaves. Start with tanchoi saris, which are recognised by their smooth satin surface and closely woven patterns, usually worked in coloured silk and not metallic zari. The reverse is unusually tidy because the extra threads are absorbed into the weave. From there, move on to the damask and bandhej collections. Head up to the first floor of the showroom, which is made for leisurely browsing: gaddas are laid out, shelves are stacked with fabric, and you can ask for pieces to be brought down or climb onto the gaddas and look through them yourself.

The Nod recommends: Ask for the brocades, particularly the rani pinks and royal blues.

Address: J 4/106 B-1, near the State Bank of India building, Pilikothi, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 9:45 pm. Call +91 98390 58222 before visiting

Shah Narayan Das (SND) and Ekaya

Established in 1913, Shah Narayan Das works across the design, manufacture, and retail of Banarasi textiles. Its Rathyatra store is a gem for those looking for fabric, with cotton and linen kadwa, kora cutwork, satin, tissue, and silk available alongside finished saris. Director Bharat Shah and his daughter Palak also founded Ekaya, a contemporary luxury label built on the family’s weaving knowledge, pieces from which can be found here too. Ekaya’s collaborations with designers such as Abraham & Thakore, Archana Rao, Ashdeen, and 431-88 have taken Banarasi textiles into mashroo saris, sheer organzas, embroidered tissues, lehengas and ready-to-wear separates. Its thaan, or running fabrics, are ideal if you already have a design in mind.

The Nod recommends: Ask to see the deep-blue satin sari inspired by the ghats of Banaras. Its architectural forms are worked into the border and pallu in golden zari using the kadwa technique. From Ekaya, look up the black-and-white Cowhide sari for a graphic departure from conventional Banarasi motifs.

Address: SND, D 58/1, Rathyatra-Mahmoorganj Road, Rathyatra Crossing, Varanasi - 221010. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm; closed Sunday. Call +91 95801 64242

Prabha Traders and Vantarra by Prabha

Prabha Traders draws on more than five decades of textile making, with its newer label, Vantarra, bringing the house’s own designs to a wider audience. Its range runs from crisp kora and rich katan to tissue, cotton, and georgette, incorporating kadwa weaving, meenakari details, and intricate zari work. One of Prabha’s original sari designs was later embellished by Manish Malhotra and worn by Nita Ambani, but the chief reason to visit is the range of weave, weight, and colour available under one roof.

The Nod recommends: The Rangkat Rose kadwa katan silk sari is our pick for bold colour, the Grace muted stripes kora silk sari for a lighter, easy-to-wear drape.

Address: B 20/1 A-B, near Digambar Jain Temple, Bhelupur, Varanasi - 221005. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm; Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. Call +91 98399 37375

Nilambari Sarees

Jamdani is the natural starting point at Nilambari, associated with founder Girjashankar Selot’s interest in the labour-intensive supplementary-weft technique where an extra silk or zari thread is introduced during weaving to form the design without building the fabric’s main structure. In their kadwa weaving, each motif is worked separately; in phekwa, the decorative thread travels across the width of the cloth and the resulting floats are later cut away. Its online platform also brings together handloom manufacturers and skilled weavers from across India, extending the selection beyond Banaras. Dhakai jamdani, Kanjivaram, and Gadwal saris sit alongside its Banarasi offerings, making it the right place to explore different regional weaving traditions.

The Nod recommends: If you’re drawn to the intricacy of Banarasi weaving but prefer a restrained palette, check out the beige Shwetambari jamdani woven with a cotton warp, mulberry silk weft, and pure zari.

Address: S 20/53-89-90, Buddha Vihar Colony, near Hotel Clarks, The Mall Road, Cantonment, Varanasi - 221002. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 8 pm. Closed Sunday. Call +91 94152 21270

Taj Estate

Master weaver Saeed Ur Rahman’s family began selling its own saris alongside those of neighbouring weavers from a small shop in the early 1980s. In 1986, he and his brother established Taj Estate, which now has multiple stores across the city. The business works across 800 looms and its custom commissions have included work for Sabyasachi Mukherjee. The main shop in Bhelupur is best known for delicate organza and fine-count silk and cotton, with lesser known fibres such as tussar and jute entering the Banarasi vocabulary.

The Nod recommends: Two designs show the range particularly well: rangkat saris made from contrasting blocks of colour, and Hawa Mahal, whose open lattice gives the cloth its airy quality.

Address: B 12/120 R S, Gauriganj, Bhelupur, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 8 pm; closed Sunday. Call +91 98388 07568

Anjora

Anjora’s setting is part of the draw: the store occupies Ganga Mahal Kothi at Assi Ghat, a riverfront heritage property with courtyard architecture reminiscent of Rajasthan. It belongs to the Surekha Group, whose textile business dates to 1976 and also encompasses HolyWeaves and designer Hemang Agrawal’s label. Its saris, dupattas, and running fabrics cover katan, kora, muga, tussar, cotton, and tissue, with checks, stripes and patola-inspired geometry breaking up the expected floral jaals.

The Nod recommends: Check out the katan silk brocade saris or dupattas in alfi jaal and meenakari patterns.

Address: Ganga Mahal Kothi, Assi Ghat, Varanasi - 221005. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 8 pm; closed Sunday. Call +91 84333 39955

HolyWeaves

HolyWeaves makes a persuasive case for shopping beyond the sari. Founded online in 2012 by Umang Agrawal, the studio draws on decades of family experience in handloom production while treating Banarasi weaving as an active design medium. Herringbone, houndstooth, animal stripes, and legible lines from the Bhagavad Gita sit beside florals and paisleys, and small batches of variegated silk weft introduce shifting bands of colour. The assortment extends to scarves, shawls, pocket squares, Ascot ties, collars, cushion covers, fabrics, and menswear. Working looms inside the studio let visitors connect those finished objects to the process.

The Nod recommends: Before you start shopping, take a few moments to watch the artisans work the looms. Each loom is a tribute to a renowned Urdu poet, like Kabir and Faiz. For a compact souvenir, check out the pocket squares.

Address: First floor, Kashi Anathalaya, 109 Indian Press Colony, Maldahiya Road, near Lahurabir Chauraha, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm; Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. Call +91 73477 34773

Jagdish Das & Company (JDS)

Founded in 1913, Jagdish Das & Company now occupies a multistorey showroom at Rathyatra Crossing, with fourth-generation family member Rajesh Shah carrying the business forward. Known locally as JDS, the house works with an extensive network of weavers, offering saris, suits, lehengas, and dupattas. The fabrics range from substantial katan silk, fluid khaddi georgette, crisp organza, and luminous tissue, each lending a different character to the weaving. The patterns deserve equal attention, from intricate tanchoi to sprawling jangla florals and narrative shikargah designs populated by animals, birds, and foliage. JDS is Silk Mark-certified, which gives buyers of pure silk an additional check on fibre content.

The Nod recommends: The pink-orange Shikargah katan silk sari on JDS’s online store, Sacred Weaves. Open it out to take in the scene woven across it.

Address: D 58/1, Rathyatra-Kamachha Road, Rathyatra Crossing, Jahumandi, Varanasi - 221010. Open Monday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 9 pm; Sunday 11 am to 6 pm. Call +91 72690 55695

Sautri and H.D. Banaras

Sautri is the retail expression of Hartirathram Dayaram, a Varanasi textile house established in 1907 and now run by Sanjay and Shrey Wahi. Its new Sigra store opens a business long associated with wholesale to individual shoppers. The collection covers handwoven katan, organza, and tissue saris, along with silk dupattas and unstitched suit pieces. The family also sets aside part of its earnings for the education of weavers’ children, continuing a commitment that stretches back more than 70 years.

The Nod recommends: Here you can get customised tassels added to the pallu, a finishing service offered by the brand.

Address: D 58, Gandhi Nagar, Sigra, opposite Gandhi Nagar Park main gate, Varanasi. Open Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm; Sunday by appointment. Call +91 99183 38822

For a designer interpretation of Banaras

Shanti Banaras

Amrit and Khushi Shah launched Shanti in 2019, named after their grandmother and drawing on their family’s long involvement in textile manufacturing. At the Gurubagh atelier, real-zari saris and elaborate jamdanis sit alongside hand embroidery, fluid crepes, gossamer tissues, lehengas, and ready-to-wear pieces for women and men. The label has also found its way into the wardrobes of Sonam Kapoor, Karisma Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, and Dia Mirza. There is a second, smaller outlet inside the Taj Ganges hotel.

The Nod recommends: The Ivory Geometry sari from ‘The Line’, which sets an angular pattern and antique-zari accents against a crepe base.

Address: Gurubagh Atelier, D 53/92, 93-1, opposite the Gurudwara, Gurubagh, Varanasi - 221010. Open daily, 11 am to 8:30 pm. Call +91 80093 14141. The Taj Ganges store is open daily, 8 am to 8 pm

Tilfi

Tilfi’s appointment-only Varanasi flagship treats the city’s crafts as a connected design language. The label, founded in 2016 by Aditi Chand, Udit Khanna, and Ujjwal Khanna, works across tanchoi, kora organza, cotton jamdani, katan silk, and real zari, with yardage and ready-to-wear pieces alongside saris and dupattas. The sandstone-toned interiors reinterpret the seated gaddi tradition and incorporate painted niches, weaving tools, and local metalwork. Tilfi’s art and collectibles line is a second reason to visit: Banaras metal repoussé, itself a GI-protected craft, appears in furniture, lighting, wall pieces, and smaller shikargah objects.

The Nod recommends: The Kashi sari or dupatta, with the line of the ghats woven into silk. In metal, ask to see the Pleats brass repoussé side table and the smaller shikargah trays or coasters.

Address: Ground and first floors, Front Tower, Amaltas, A/2, D 59/1, Rathyatra–Mahmoorganj Road, beside IDFC First Bank, Varanasi - 221010. Open daily, 11 am to 8 pm, by appointment. Call +91 73037 41333

The Zardozi Story

Ruby Baranwal grew up around her family’s carpet manufacturing and export business in Bhadohi, developing an eye for colour, dyeing, and design before pursuing fashion professionally. Her label, The Zardozi Story, brings that background to Banaras zardozi, a tradition of metallic embroidery that flourished under Mughal patronage and received GI recognition in 2021. Working on fabric stretched over an adda, or wooden frame, karigars build richly textured patterns with metallic thread, coiled wire, sequins, and beads. Ruby’s collection spans embroidered bridal dupattas, lehengas, and Banarasi silk saris, with the makers’ stories accompanying their work. Among them is Abdul Kasim, a third-generation embroiderer who learned the craft from his father.

The Nod recommends: Arrange a closer look at a bridal dupatta with the karigar who embroidered it.

Address: The Zardozi Story by Ruby Baranwal, C 33/52, Sigra, behind Sigra Stadium, Varanasi 221002. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm. Closed Sunday. Call +91 6388 518-860

For gulabi meenakari jewellery and objects

Kunj Bihari Singh

Kunj Bihari Singh receives visitors at his home workshop in the Gaighat-Lalghat area. He is especially good at explaining the seven main stages of gulabi meenakari, from engraving the silver base to painting and firing the enamel. Jewellery sits alongside decorative objects, including the chess set that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted to Kamala Harris. His wife also teaches the craft to local women without charge. This is more than a quick retail stop.

The Nod recommends: Arrange your visit during the day. It’s challenging to navigate the evening traffic of Banaras and the dimly lit bylanes of Gaighat.

Address: K 4/53 A, Machodari, Lalghat/Gaighat, Varanasi. Visits by appointment only. Call +91 94505 43990

Ramesh Kumar Vishwakarma

Ramesh Kumar Vishwakarma works with his sons Rohan and Vaibhav and a small group of karigars in the family’s Gaighat home. They make rings, earrings, and bracelets as well as peacocks, turtles, religious figurines, and larger commissioned objects. Prices can move from small studs at roughly ₹3,000 to elaborate kundan-set necklaces around ₹65,000, depending on silver, stones, and labour. Photography is not permitted inside the workshop, because the family is wary of painted imitations of its designs. The makers’ repertoire includes Appu, the 1982 Asian Games mascot, and a brooch presented by Narendra Modi to Jill Biden.

The Nod recommends: Ask Ramesh to bring out the gulabi meenakari pearl bracelet he keeps tucked away in his cupboard. Arrange to meet at the HDFC Bank in Gaighat and have someone from Ramesh’s team walk you to the house from there.

Address: A 1/22 A, Patan Darwaja, Gaighat, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm; arrange the visit in advance. Call +91 94159 84124

For wooden lacquer toys and small objects

Agrawal Toys Emporium

Agrawal Toys Emporium has dealt in Varanasi wooden handicrafts since 1960. The present proprietor, Biharee Lal Agrawal, sells wooden horses, elephants, bowling sets, pencils, boxes, religious figures, and decorative pieces from a first-floor address in Vishwanath Gali. It is a useful old-city stop for modestly sized objects that travel easily, but this is closer to a manufacturer’s sales room than a styled toy boutique. Call before going so the family can confirm access and current retail stock.

The Nod recommends: Handmade wooden toys for kids should be your first pick.

Address: D 10/56, first floor, Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi - 221001. Call before visiting. Call +91 94152 25024

Rameshwar Singh Wooden Toys and Balaji Handicraft

Master toy maker Rameshwar Singh received a National Merit Certificate for wooden toys in 2015. His son Raj Kumar continues the family practice through Balaji Handicraft, expanding the repertoire from devotional figures and traditional toys to tableware, wall pieces, and custom commissions. The most appealing designs draw on familiar Indian streets: miniature autorickshaws and bullock carts are carved and painted in bright colour combinations. A workshop visit should be arranged in advance.

The Nod recommends: The blue-and-yellow wooden autorickshaw is a cheerful piece of street life reduced to tabletop scale.

Address: B 25/33-85, Jawahar Nagar Extension, Varanasi. Visits by appointment only. Call +91 89602 70095

Other things worth seeking out

TNK Khatri Attar Wale or TNK Fragrances

Triloki Nath Khatri & Sons, known locally as Khatri Attar Wale, traces its Varanasi perfumery business to the 1840s. The small Rajadarwaja shop sells oil-based attars sourced through long-standing relationships with distillers in Kannauj. Rose, mogra, khus, and sandalwood cover the classical register; oud, musk, and saffron move into deeper blends, while Ruh Kashi is the house scent inspired by Banaras. Ask to smell only a few at a time, test one on skin and walk around before deciding: attar changes as it warms.

The Nod recommends: Spritz some mitti attar for the smell of rain on dry earth, or Ruh Kashi for the house’s own interpretation of the city.

Address: Khatri Attar Wale, Rajadarwaja Trihuwani, opposite the transformer, next to the paan shop, Varanasi - 221001. Open Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 8 pm. Closed Sunday. Call +91 70076 69445

De-Lemon by Banaras Beads

De-Lemon is the online retail label of Banaras Beads Limited, a Varanasi company whose bead-making history dates to 1940. Its sprawling catalogue includes finished necklaces, earrings, and bracelets as well as loose lampwork, chevron, millefiori, and silver-foil beads and DIY kits. Banaras Beads is an authorised user of the Varanasi glass beads GI, but the catalogue also includes other materials, so ask specifically for beads having the GI tag. The Lehertara address belongs to the company’s industrial operation and visitors should obtain permission before going.

The Nod recommends: Choose a small group of locally made lampwork glass beads and build a necklace from the loose-bead selection or a DIY kit.

Address: A-1, Manduwadih Road, opposite Bank of Baroda, Lehertara Industrial Estate, Varanasi - 221106. Open Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 7 pm; closed Sunday. Visits by appointment. Call +91 95558 16674