The new age Bride’s trousseau is no less than a project in its own merit. Even in keeping with the roaring wave of going ethnic with wedding look, a smart bride considers various things. The drape needs to be one of its kind in design and comfort factor. It would preferably not get overboard in the budget. Plus, even the trousseau needs to be versatile, because the smart bride would love to wear it again on special occasions. When it comes to traditional bridal sarees, there has always been a tussle between the Banarasi sarees from the north and the Kanchipurams or Kanjeevarams from South. Both of them are equally elegant, yet so diverse to each other. Yet, very few can actually comprehend the difference between them.
Benarasi Sarees: The Pride of Varanasi
The Banarasi sarees owe their origin in the holy city of Barabari. They have been a choice of the royals in yesteryears India. Traditionally, they used to be woven in pure gold thread and the best quality silk. The pallu comes with more intricate designs than the rest of the saree. In the pallu, you are likely to find more of Mughal-inspired designs. They include intermediate foliate and floral designs, as well as bell and kalga. A number of sarees exhibit a string of upright leaves, locally called jhallar. Often the embroidery around the saree comes with designs like mango flower, Marigold flower, diagonal stripes and the like. Also, there are tiny embroideries all over the saree.
Kanchipuram: The Glory of South
Kanchipuram silk sarees have their origin in the town called Kanchipuram, in Tamil Nadu. It is a town where master weavers have been dedicated to this profession for more than four centuries. There was a time when these families of weavers would create the drapes only for their Gods, as well as their Queens. But nowadays, they have a lot to offer to the contemporary style goddesses, as well. Authentic Kanchipuram silk sarees are made from the best quality mulberry silk. However, the zaris, or the metal thread used to design these sarees are traditionally brought from the coasts of Gujarat. The high-quality silk is relatively heavy and meant for long usage. The specialty of Kanjeevarams lies in the fact that they come in different styles. You can see them with or without motifs, as well as with narrow or wide borders. More than often, the borders come in a lengthwise direction. Pally generally come in a zigzag design. However, you can also find motifs like a temple, coins, checks, stripes, flowers and the like. So far the design of the sarees are concerned, you can mostly find nature-inspired themes like birds, animals, flora, and foliage. Often incidents from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata also come as a design. These sarees generally have contrasting borders and pallus than that of the rest of the saree.
Kanjeevaeam or Banarasi Saree?
You can say that both Kanjeevarams and Banarasi sarees are unique in their own ways. Either of them can light up your bridal avatar and make you look like a dream. You can treasure both in your wardrobe. However, despite their elegance, authentic Banarasi sarees come in limited colour options, mainly adhering to shades of red, blue and pink. Kanchipuram silk sarees, on the other hand, are available in an array of vibrant options, thus giving you plenty of choices. Again, Benarasi sarees are available in different versions like katan, tan choi, georgette, organza, and many more. These varieties are lightweight yet elegant. This is something that any Indian summer bride would prefer. Kanjeevarams can be a bit heavy, thus not the best thing to wear in summer. So both the varieties have their share of brownies and downsides. It would all depend on your personal preference.