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?

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.)

Frequently asked questions

What is tanchoi silk? Tanchoi is a fine silk weave in which the pattern is created with extra colored silk threads on a smooth satin ground, without metallic zari. Its hallmark is a dense, nearly reversible back with almost no floating threads, giving it a soft, refined hand.

What is the difference between Banarasi and tanchoi silk? Banarasi is a brocade woven with metallic gold or silver zari thread, creating raised, light-catching motifs. Tanchoi uses colored silk threads instead of metal and has a smoother, more understated, nearly reversible surface. Banarasi reads as opulent; tanchoi reads as quietly luxurious.

What is ikat and how is it different from Banarasi or tanchoi? Ikat is defined by dyeing rather than weaving: the threads are tie-dyed to a pattern before being woven, which produces a soft, feathered edge to the motifs. Banarasi and tanchoi create their patterns on the loom with supplementary threads, so their motifs have crisp, defined edges.

Why do ikat patterns look slightly blurred? Because the design is dyed into the threads before weaving, the weaver must align thousands of pre-dyed yarns by hand. Perfect alignment is impossible, so a gentle feathered blur appears where colors meet — the signature proof of a true ikat.

Are Banarasi, tanchoi, and ikat all from Varanasi? Banarasi and tanchoi are closely associated with Varanasi (Banaras), India’s historic silk-weaving city; Banarasi brocade even holds a Geographical Indication tying the name to six Uttar Pradesh districts. Ikat is a dyeing-and-weaving technique practiced in several Indian regions; our ikat silk is handwoven in Varanasi.

Are these silks suitable for the home, or only for clothing? All three translate beautifully into home textiles — cushions, pillows, and table runners — where their patterns and the quality of the silk can be seen and used every day.

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.