Cottage Industries Exposition
Come here for excellent Varanasi weaves in silk and cotton, a vast rug room, plus brass wares and Kashmiri embroidered shawls. Everything is expensive.
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The city's shops are open generally from 10 to 8; the larger shops close on Sunday, but the street sellers and smaller shops are open daily. One of India's chief weaving centers, Varanasi is famous for its silk-brocade saris, which start at around Rs. 2,000. Some saris are still woven with real gold and silver threads, though in most noncustom work the real thing has been replaced by artificial fibers.
Weaving is typically a family business, and most weavers are Muslims who belong to the Ansari community. Kamalan Tours organizes visits to the traditional silk houses where you can interact with weavers and watch them weave silk using foot-powered looms.
Come here for excellent Varanasi weaves in silk and cotton, a vast rug room, plus brass wares and Kashmiri embroidered shawls. Everything is expensive.
Among the brass vendors, on a small lane 50 meters north of the Chowk, some shops sell silks and woolens to a local crowd.
Most hotels sell silk-brocade saris in their shops, but the main bazaars for silks and saris are in Vishvanath Gali—the lane leading from Dashashvamedh Road to the Kashi Vishvanath Temple, where the customers are mainly pilgrims and tourists. Try to go early—it gets quite crowded in the afternoon.