Uttar Pradesh being the reigning seat of many monarchs has a long line of history and tradition attached to it. These monarchs patronized art and craft at an alarming rate and each of them made some heady contribution in the field. The craftsmen of yore who used to work for the royal family were skilled and meticulous with their work. These craftsmen passed their skill from one generation to the other and hence the art stayed in the family. Many of their grandsons are owners of big silk houses in Benaras but still prefer to weave sometimes. Carpet making is an industry that thrives in Uttar Pradesh. Mirzapur Carpets is considered to be one of the best buys of the state.
During your Tours to Uttar Pradesh, apart from visiting the holy places of Varanasi, you may also take a closer look at the Zari Work of Varanasi, one of the famous Crafts of Uttar Pradesh. In fact, Varanasi takes pride in being a center of hand-made textiles that is renowned all over the world.
The age old traditions of weaving are more preserved in Varanasi than anywhere else. The main products are brocades and Zari Work of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The weavers who are behind these beautiful creations are mainly Muslim and are called by the name of ‘karigars’ which refers to ‘artists’.
Varanasi Zari Work uses Zari thread that is called ‘kalabuttum’. It consists of finely drawn silver, gold or base metal threads that are wound round as silk thread. Silk traditionally used to come from Central Asia, Italy and Bengal. However, at present, it comes from Kashmir, Malda in Bengal or Japan.
