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Banarasi, Tanchoi, and Ikat: A Guide to Varanasi’s Three Great Weaves

June 6, 2026 Harjot Kaur, Founder

Banarasi, Tanchoi, and Ikat: A Guide to Varanasi’s Three Great Weaves

June 6, 2026 Harjot Kaur, Founder

Banarasi, Tanchoi, and Ikat: A Guide to Varanasi’s Three Great Weaves

Quick answer: Banarasi, tanchoi, and ikat are three distinct silk-weaving traditions associated with Varanasi (Banaras), India. Banarasi is a brocade woven with metallic zari thread to create raised, ornate motifs. Tanchoi is a fine satin-ground weave patterned with extra colored silk threads and no metallic zari, prized for its smooth, reversible surface. Ikat is defined not by the loom but by the dye: the threads are tie-dyed to a pattern before weaving, producing soft, feathered motifs. All three are handwoven, and all three make exceptional, lasting gifts.

Why Varanasi?

Varanasi — also called Banaras — is India’s most celebrated silk-weaving city, and its brocades are protected by law as a mark of origin. “Banaras Brocades and Sarees” received a Geographical Indication (GI) in 2009, and under that protection only silk woven within six Uttar Pradesh districts — Varanasi, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Bhadohi, Jaunpur, and Azamgarh — can legally be called Banarasi, according to the Government of Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district record. Generations of weavers there have refined techniques that turn silk and metallic thread into some of the most intricate handwoven cloth made anywhere — and the GI register lists Banarasi varieties including jangla, jamdani, tissue, cutwork, butidar, and jamawar tanchoi.

What is Banarasi silk?

Banarasi silk is a brocade — a fabric where the pattern is woven directly into the cloth with supplementary threads — made unmistakable by zari, fine gold or silver metallic thread. The motifs catch the light and stand slightly raised from the surface.

Those motifs carry a Mughal-era heritage — flowering vines, paisleys, and dense foliate patterns (the GI record names kalga and bel motifs, “jali” net patterns, and “meena” work) that can take a skilled weaver days to complete by hand on a Banaras handloom jacquard. The result is opulent, substantial, and instantly recognizable. In the home, a Banarasi silk cushion or panel reads as a small piece of woven jewelry.

What is tanchoi silk?

Tanchoi is a fine silk weave whose pattern is built entirely from extra colored silk threads on a smooth satin ground — no metallic zari — with a dense, nearly reversible back. It is the connoisseur’s weave.

The hallmark is the reverse of the cloth: in true tanchoi the supplementary weft is woven in so cleanly that there are almost no loose floating threads on the back. The tradition carries a well-known origin story — in the 19th century, three Parsi brothers are said to have brought the satin-brocade technique to India, and the name tanchoi is traditionally linked to them. The result is a subtler luxury than Banarasi: no glint of gold, just a quiet, jewel-toned pattern and an exceptionally smooth hand.

What is ikat, and why does it look different?

Ikat is defined by dyeing, not weaving: the yarns are tie-dyed to a pattern before they go on the loom, which gives ikat its signature soft, feathered edges.

Because the weaver has to align thousands of pre-dyed threads by hand, perfect alignment is impossible — so a gentle blur appears wherever colors meet. That blur is the proof of the technique: it’s how you know the pattern was dyed into the threads rather than printed onto finished fabric. It also means no two ikat pieces are ever identical. (For a deeper dive, see our companion guide, What Is Ikat?)

How do the three weaves compare?

Weave	How the pattern is made	Signature look	Metallic thread?
Banarasi	Brocade — woven-in supplementary thread	Raised, ornate, light-catching motifs	Yes — gold/silver zari
Tanchoi	Extra colored silk weft on a satin ground	Smooth, fine, nearly reversible, jewel-toned	No
Ikat	Threads tie-dyed to a pattern before weaving	Soft, feathered edges; no two alike	No

Which weave should you choose?

Choose Banarasi for unmistakable opulence, tanchoi for understated luxury, and ikat for the visible mark of the handmade.

Choose Banarasi when you want a piece that announces itself — ideal for a milestone or a formal home.
Choose tanchoi when you prefer refined and tactile, for someone who notices how things are made.
Choose ikat when you love the soft, organic pattern that proves a person, not a printer, made it.

One rule of thumb: zari and shine → Banarasi. Smooth and reversible → tanchoi. Soft feathered edges → ikat.

What do all three share?

All three are handwoven, made in limited quantities, and built from natural silk — which is exactly why they make such enduring gifts. None is mass-produced; each carries the small irregularities of human work; and each comes from a named tradition you can tell the story of when you give it. (On why that matters, see what makes a gift become an heirloom.)

Bring a Varanasi weave into the home

Our cushions, pillows, and table runners are handwoven in Varanasi, India, in ikat, tanchoi, and Banarasi silk — each made in small numbers, each one slightly its own.

Explore handwoven Varanasi silk → Ikat, tanchoi, and Banarasi silk for the home. Made in small batches, arrives gift-ready. Ships free to the US & Canada.

Frequently asked questions

What is Banarasi silk?

Banarasi silk is a brocade woven in Varanasi in which the pattern is created directly in the cloth with supplementary threads, made unmistakable by zari — fine gold or silver metallic thread — that catches the light and stands slightly raised from the surface. The motifs carry a Mughal-era heritage of flowering vines and paisleys that can take a skilled weaver days to complete on a handloom. "Banaras Brocades and Sarees" holds a Geographical Indication (2009), so only silk woven in six Uttar Pradesh districts can legally be called Banarasi. In the home, a Banarasi cushion or runner reads like woven jewellery.

What is tanchoi silk?

Tanchoi is a fine silk weave whose pattern is built entirely from extra coloured silk threads on a smooth satin ground, with no metallic zari and a dense, nearly reversible back. Its hallmark is that reverse: the supplementary weft is woven in so cleanly there are almost no floating threads behind. The tradition carries a 19th-century origin story linked to three Parsi brothers who brought the satin-brocade technique to India. The result is a subtler luxury than Banarasi — no glint of gold, just a quiet jewel-toned pattern and an exceptionally smooth hand. Browse Tanchoi silk to see it.

What is the difference between Banarasi and tanchoi silk?

Banarasi is a brocade woven with metallic gold or silver zari, creating raised, light-catching motifs; tanchoi uses coloured silk threads instead of metal and has a smoother, more understated, nearly reversible surface. Banarasi reads as opulent and ceremonial — the cloth you bring out when the occasion deserves it — while tanchoi reads as quietly luxurious, the connoisseur's choice for someone who notices how things are made. Both are handwoven in Varanasi; the simplest tell is the glint: zari and shine means Banarasi, smooth and reversible means tanchoi.

What is ikat, and how is it different from Banarasi or tanchoi?

Ikat is defined by dyeing rather than weaving: the yarns are tie-dyed to a pattern before they go on the loom, which gives ikat its signature soft, feathered edges. Banarasi and tanchoi create their patterns on the loom with supplementary threads, so their motifs have crisp, defined edges. Because an ikat weaver must align thousands of pre-dyed threads by hand, perfect alignment is impossible and a gentle blur appears where colours meet — proof the pattern was dyed into the thread, not printed on. It also means no two ikat pieces are ever identical.

Why do ikat patterns look slightly blurred?

Because the design is dyed into the threads before weaving, the weaver must line up thousands of pre-dyed yarns by hand, and perfect alignment is impossible — so a gentle feathered blur appears wherever colours meet. That blur is not a flaw; it's the signature proof of a true ikat and the reason each piece is one of a kind. Our ikat is handwoven in Pochampally, a centre of the Indian double-ikat tradition, where both warp and weft threads are hand-dyed before weaving — among the most technically demanding weaving processes practised anywhere.

Are Banarasi, tanchoi, and ikat all from Varanasi?

Banarasi and tanchoi are closely tied to Varanasi (Banaras), India's historic silk-weaving city; Banarasi brocade even holds a Geographical Indication linking the name to six Uttar Pradesh districts. Ikat is a dyeing-and-weaving technique practised in several Indian regions — our ikat silk is handwoven in Pochampally, in the south. So the three share a home in Indian handloom silk rather than a single town: two Varanasi brocade traditions and one resist-dye tradition, each handwoven and made in small numbers.

Which weave should I choose as a gift?

Choose Banarasi for unmistakable opulence — ideal for a milestone or a formal home; tanchoi for understated luxury, for someone who notices how things are made; and ikat for the visible mark of the handmade, if they love organic, one-of-a-kind pattern. As gifts they all work beautifully as cushions, pillows, and table runners. Browse our handwoven silk pillows and table runners to choose a weave and colourway; each is made in small numbers, so the piece you give is close to singular.

Are these silks suitable for the home, or only for clothing?

All three translate beautifully into home textiles — cushions, pillows, and table runners — where the pattern and the quality of the silk can be seen and used every day. A Banarasi cushion brings ceremonial shine to a sofa, a tanchoi runner turns an everyday table into a set one, and an ikat pillow adds soft, organic geometry no printed fabric can match. Because each is handwoven in small numbers from natural silk, they also make enduring housewarming, wedding, and milestone gifts — objects that carry a story you can tell when you give them.

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