What’s in a Name? – What a Real Chanderi Is & Isn’t

Be an Informed Buyer: On our Store right now is a collection of elegant and comfortable Bagh sarees. At Revive.Style, respect towards Indian textile nomenclature and knowledge is something that has always been important. We aren’t perfect, but both you and I will always keep learning more and we prioritize that. You may see this saree being sold as a Bagh ‘Chanderi’ often, at similar or nominally higher/lower prices.
In India, we have a strange habit of calling every cotton-silk saree a Chanderi. Why isn’t this saree being called so? I urge you to take a minute to read…
– Chanderi sarees have a GI Tag granted by the Government, which means only a Chanderi handwoven in the town of and by the artisans of Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh as per heritage tradition can be called so. Everything else is cotton-silk.
– There is no such thing as powerloom Chanderi, that’s an oxymoron, like saying ‘handwritten printout.’ The very essence is handloom and thus expensive. If this were a Bagh Chanderi, as many of us are used to calling it, the price would have to be double than what it is right now or beyond.
– Therefore, you can easily deduce that a Chanderi saree would not be possible at this range or lower, both cost and selling price wise. If a saree is not handwoven in Chanderi and is as affordable as this, it is a cotton-silk. We will not mislead you, or violate the GI Tag rights of Chanderi’s artisans, by calling it Chanderi.
– It is so common to see sarees, suit materials, and what not being sold as ‘Chanderi,’ when in fact those are all cotton-silks made in the mills of Surat or other textile hubs. It is a common misconception, and in many ways a disservice to the work of heritage Chanderi weavers struggling to keep their livelihood running, by creating this mental association in the minds of customers that any cotton-silk is a Chanderi.
So, here’s to informed patrons and this beautiful collection of handprinted sarees on our Store are lustrous cotton-silks with a delicate touch of zari, hand block printed intricately in the ‘Bagh’ block printing tradition in the vibrant artisanal village of Bagru, Rajasthan.  We love a good cotton silk, it is comfortable to drape and festive all at once, with it’s elegantly subtle shine. Hope you enjoy this drape even more whilst knowing wisely about what it is!
Just putting it out there. Thank you for your patience and support, always. Here’s a glimpse of the hand blocked sarees, click here to shop on our Storefront!
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