The Banarasi Glossary: Decode the magic in every motif

Banaras doesn’t just weave fabric, it weaves meaning. Every line, leaf, and lattice carries a memory of the loom and the hands that guide it. As an eighth-generation, family-run house, we’ve grown up learning these words at the gaddi, not from books. Here’s a living glossary from our workbenches to yours, so when you choose a Banarasi saree, you also understand its language.

Fibres & Fabrics

Katan Silk
Pure mulberry silk with silk warp and silk weft. Smooth, durable, and ideal for intricate brocade and kadhua work.

Kora (Organza)
Crisp, translucent silk with a light body and gentle stiffness; perfect for airy brocades and bridal pastels.

Tissue
Silk (or silk blend) interwoven with metallic zari for a luminous, sheer surface that catches the light.

Georgette / Chiffon (Silk)
Lightweight, fluid silk fabrics used for contemporary Banarasi drapes, often with meenakari or small butis.

Tussar / Munga
Wild silks with a soft sheen and natural texture; pair beautifully with antique zari and earthy palettes.

Shattir
A versatile silk ground used historically in Banarasi weaving for patterns that require stability with lightness.

Loom & Weave Techniques

Kadhua (Kadhwa)
Motifs are woven individually on the loom (not run continuously). Labour-intensive, long-lasting, and crisp in detail. If a motif looks “placed” and clean on both sides, it’s likely kadhua.

Phekwa (Fekwa)
Supplementary weft runs across the width; floats are carried and later snipped at the back. Efficient for all-over jaals and repeating butis.

Katraua (Cutwork)
After weaving, extra weft floats are carefully cut out to reveal a more open, lace-like motif field.

Meenakari
Coloured silk threads (and sometimes coloured metallics) inserted as extra wefts to “enamel” motifs from within, think tiny berries, petals, or veins glowing in contrast.

Brocade / Kimkhwab
Rich supplementary-weft weaving with zari on silk. Kimkhwab is the most opulent form, dense zari, regal motifs, heirloom weight.

Jamdani (Banarasi Jamdani)
Extra-weft insertion done by hand on a sheer or fine ground, producing motifs that look as if they float in the fabric.

Tanchoi
Figure weaving using multiple coloured wefts for intricate, repeating patterns (often florals) without zari.

Kadiyal
A technique to achieve a contrasting border and pallu on a differently coloured body by interlocking/weaving sections with separate shuttles.

Rangkat
Multi-hued “ranged” colouration across the warp or weft to create elegant, colour-blocked bands within one saree; a master’s playground.

Gyasar
Heavy, temple-inspired brocade with bold, often Tibetan or Buddhist iconography; woven on special looms in Banaras for monastery and ceremonial textiles.

Design Layouts

Buti / Boota
Single small (buti) or medium (boota) motifs scattered or aligned across the body. Common types include ashrafi (coin), badami (almond), phool (floral), paan (leaf).

Bel
A meandering vine that runs lengthwise or across the saree, delicate trails binding flowers and leaves.

Jaal
An all-over lattice or network (trellis) of vines, leaves, and florals that covers the body richly.

Jangla
Large, luxuriant creepers climbing across the drape; dramatic, old-world bridal grandeur.

Shikargah
Narrative “hunting scene” layouts with deer, elephants, birds, and foliage, a storytelling classic of courtly textiles.

Bootidar
A field sprinkled with repeating small butis;  balanced, timeless, and versatile.

Koniyas
Corner motifs at the pallu end that frame the fall, often paisleys or lotus clusters.

Motifs & Their Meanings

Kalka / Paisley / Kairi
A stylised mango;  abundance, fertility, auspicious beginnings.

Kamal (Lotus)
Purity and rebirth; from tight buds to full blooms, the lotus is a Banarasi signature.

Ashrafi Buti
Coin-shaped motif; prosperity and good fortune.

Bel-Patta / Paan
Leaf forms symbolising freshness, celebration, and sacred offerings.

Genda / Gulab / Champa
Marigold, rose, champa florals; festive devotion, romance, and grace.

Mor (Peacock)
Joy, monsoon, and beauty; often paired with vines in meenakari.

Hathphool / Jharokha / Jhumka
Jewellery-inspired forms referencing Mughal-Rajput aesthetics of adornment and architecture.

Zari & Colour

Sona-Rupa
Gold (sona) and silver (rupa) zari woven together for rich dual-metal highlights.

Antique Zari
Muted, vintage-toned metal threads (smoky gold/old silver) for a softer, heirloom look.

Real vs. Tested Zari
Real (pure) zari uses precious metal drawn over silk/cotton core; tested zari uses metallised film. Both are used in Banarasi weaving; weight, patina, and price vary accordingly.

Ganga-Jamuna
Contrasting borders (or selvedges) on either side; two rivers, two colours, one flow.

Rang (Palette)
From kashish (smoky grey) and gulabi (pink) to neelam (sapphire) and kachnar (orchid), Banarasi colour names are as poetic as the textiles.

Anatomy of a Saree

Body (Jangha)
The main field; may be plain, butidar, or jaal-covered.

Border (Kinar)
Runs along the length; narrow patti to grand temple borders, often in kadhua or brocade.

Pallu (Anchal)
Decorative end of the saree; heavier zari, koniyas, bold bels or jaals.

Selvedge (Gundi / Bacha)
Woven self-edge that prevents fraying; sometimes colour-tipped for character.

Fall & Pico
Finishing stitches along the inner edge and hem for a clean drape and protection.

Classic Banarasi Types You’ll Hear About

Kadhua Brocade
Katan or kora ground with individually woven zari motifs; crisp, enduring details.

Jamdani on Kora / Tissue
Sheer elegance; motifs appear suspended, perfect for ethereal occasion wear.

Kimkhwab Bridal
Dense zari figure weaving; ceremonial, weighty, and forever.

Butidar Katan
All-over small butis on pure silk; versatile heirloom.

Shikargah Katan/Kora
Narrative grandeur for trousseau and collectors.

Rangkat Katan
Colour-blocked finesse with sophisticated transitions across the drape.

Tanchoi Silks
Zari-less figure weaving in multicolour wefts; refined, modern-classic.

How to Read (and Love) Your Banarasi

• Look at the back.
  Clean backs with no long floats usually indicate kadhua; neat, short snips suggest phekwa or cutwork. Neither is “better”  ; each serves a different design purpose.

• Feel the hand.
  Katan feels smooth and strong; kora is crisp; tissue glows and is lightly stiff; georgette/chiffon are fluid.

• Watch the light.
  Meenakari pops in colour; antique zari glows softly; tissue and kimkhwab shimmer richly.

• Think longevity.
  Store in breathable bags, refold periodically, keep away from direct sunlight and perfumes. Dry clean by specialists used to handloom silks.

Why this language matters

When you know the difference between a bel and a jaal, or recognise a kadhua kalka at a glance, you don’t just buy a saree, you adopt a story. And that’s what we have safeguarded since 1885.

At Ushnakmal Moolchand Banaras, we curate, design, and weave with this very vocabulary; patiently, honestly, and with pride. If you ever want to decode a weave you own (or plan to), bring it to our gaddi in Kunj Gali, Chowk or write to us. We’ll read its story together.

Ushnakmal Moolchand Banaras — From Generations, For Generations.