Rajan Silk Store – One of the Leading Saree Wholesalers in Varanasi

Varanasi is world famous for its sarees. Traditional banarasi sarees are still the most popular wedding attire for any bride. Where better to shop for banarasi sarees that in the very heart of Banaras in narrow lanes of Chowk in Varanasi!

Established over 40 years ago, Rajan Silk Store has made a mark for its fine collection and variety of banarasi sarees. Mr Rajan Khanna, the owner of Rajan Silk Store, belongs to a family of leading textile businessmen in India. His grandfather, based out of Amritsar, was one of first & leading importers of cloth fabric in the pre-independence era. He was the treasurer of Durgyana Temple in Amritsar and a well respected figure known for his impeccable honesty and generousity.

Rajan Silk Store has been built on the same values that have been passed on for generations.  The firm belives in a very honest service to its customers and ensures complete satisfaction of its customers in terms of the quality and price of its products.

Rajan Silk Store has a fine collection of saris & suits be it for a tradinal Punjabi wedding or a formal modern function! Visit us in Varanasi and avail exclusive discounts on sarees, suits and dress materials!

How to Clean Your Silk Saree

Silk saris are a priced possession of any woman’s wardrobe. This Indian attire has gained international popularity what with so many tourists coming to India to purchase these exquisite fabrics. The more attractive and heavy your silk sari the tedious is the task to take care of it.

It is very important to keep your sari and its luster intact. After all you would be wearing it on other occasions as well from time to time over a span of years. Silk sarees are washable. Thus you don’t have to worry that much about their cleaning. It can very well be done at home.

The best option is always opting for dry cleaning. But if you can’t afford it on a regular basis, then given here are certain tips to clean your silk sari at home.

The main purpose of keeping your saree clean is to maintain the freshness of the saree along with its lustrous shine and crispness of the design. Thus, following steps will guide you to take care of your silk sarees at home with an ease

•When you are washing the silk saree for the first time, start by soaking in salt water. Afterwards rinse the saree well in cold water.

•Remember. DO NOT wash your saree with soap in the beginning at all.

•Wash the saree in plain water 2-3 times. Then use a very mild detergent on the saree and clean it up quickly.

•Avoid using a brush or lash on saree as it only leads to tearing up of fabric.

•At the start, wash the pallu and border of the saree separately.

•Avoid making a bundle of saree. Also avoid a bundle of saree with choli [blouse] and petticoat.

•Don’t keep it wet for longer durations.

•Use cold water as soon as possible if the saree gets stained.

•If the stain is not easily washable then soak the stained area with petrol and use brush on the saree with soft cloth.

•When you press your saree, keep the heat on medium. While pressing, keep the iron in medium heat only.

•Keep your silk sarees in a cold dry place dusted with neem leaves.

•Always change the saree fold at least once a month to avoid any zari breakage.

Whether it is a dark stain or just plain dirt stuck on your precious new silk sari, the above mentioned steps will surely guide you in taking good care of your silk Banarasi sari!

Next- if you are clueless about how to get rid of certain stains from your silk saree, keep checking this space for more information. Arriving soon!

How to Start a Sari Store- Get Tips for Starting Your Own Sari Shop/Business

In today’s date having your own sari store is one of the most sound decisions that anyone can take. The business offers all year round demand with a huge profit margin. One can prosper a lot in no time in a saree business. One can find a large variety of Indian sarees.

They are special to each district or state of India depicting their culture. It is also the most preferred tradition as well as casual attire of Indian women. Thus there is huge demand for various types of sarees.

Now when you are planning to start your own sari store, it is advisable to first decide upon the type of saree you want to sell and the place from where you would like to begin the business. These are just elementary things. One should keep in mind few things which will help him in prospering their newly found sari shop/ business.

Here are some tips on how to start a sari store

•Take a decision about the type of saree that you wish to sell in your store initially. There are loads of varieties in Indian sarees so choose those which have a high year round demand.

•Decide upon the place from where you wish to start up your business. Make a survey of various markets and choose upon a suitable premise to start up your shop. If your shop is in a crowded place it would get more chances of customers. However, too many saree shops clustered together at a same place would eat into your business.

•If you don’t want to go into specific saree sale then a country wide visit is advisable especially to those areas where sarees are made like in Varanasi. Get a sound idea about all the popular sarees, who have high demands etc.

•It is crucial to be familiar with the price range of sarees of different makes and style. An average saree costs anywhere between Rupees 300 to 2500 while the more embroidered and heavily styled sarees cost even more than rupees 30,000-50,000. It gives you a large margin for revenue earning. It is thus better to do a job in an already established sari store like Rajan Silk Store in Varanasi to get an idea about the price range of different saris.

•Before starting any business, it is very important to identify your target customers. If you are going to sell a large variety of saris catering to the needs of large section of women, then you have a huge target customership. For a new sari business, it is always safe to start from a medium range being specializing in certain type of sarees which are profitable for your business. One can always expand their business later.

•Do promotion of your sari store through website, word by mouth publicity, showcasing various designs to prospective women customers etc.

•It is all about good will and reputation in a sari business. To retain your customers and make new ones, one should get quality wholesale sari stalk from an established sari store. Rajan Silk Store in Varanasi offers great prices on wholesale saree purchases.

In the end, it all depends upon how much hard work and labor you put into establishing your sari store!

Tips to Buy Banarasi Sarees Online

So you are planning to buy Banarasi saree online? For that purpose you need to prepare yourself on certain aspects. Shopping online has become these days just like a routine activity due to the rising globalization! But it has also increased the chances of you getting duped on net. There are various fraudulent activities taking place behind the veil of online shopping.

When you are getting geared up to buy your fill of beautiful Banarasi sarees online, it is this advisable to take certain precautions before you make the final purchase from the online buyers. Who knows if they are authentic or not?

Following are some tips to buy Banarasi saree online. Just go through them to make your shopping experience online pleasant!

•Since you are choosing a saree online you won’t get a chance to examine it in person before buying. Ask for all the information about the saree available to you like color, fabric, pattern, saree type, length, embroidery etc.

•Check the enlarged photos of sarees available online. This would give you a better idea about the Banarasi saree.

•Take in consideration all the costs that will be entailed by you including customization, postage, packing along with the saree cost to make out your budget.

•Make a thorough check into the background of the online sellers’ profiles.

•Make sure you are in hold of the full address of the online traders.

•If the company has a refund and return policy go through it to determine your status if the purchase is returned due to some reason.

•RSS or contact the shop for more details about buying Banarasi saree. It is always better to clear your doubts talking directly.

•Correspond to the traders through live support or email in case calling is not possible

•Once you get your Banarasi saree delivered to you, make a thorough check of it if it is the same one ordered by you and in good condition!

Be a smart online shopper with the help of our tips to buy Banarasi saree online!

How to Take Care of Your Sarees?

Every Indian women love saris, the traditional Indian wear of women in India! In fact, these sarees are kept for daily wear to special occasions. Some of these expensive sarees require maintenance on your part.

So much so that these sarees even are handed down from one generation to another. They can survive long decades once you know how to take care of them properly!

There are lots of varieties of sarees pertaining to their specific regions, designs types, embroidery, fabrics and various other things. Here we are giving tips to maintain some of the most popular Indian sarees!

Let us start with some of the more heavy and delicate sarees

Silk Saris
These saris which are made up of heavy expensive natural silk require a lot of maintenance on your part.

•Try keeping them in a dark spot in your cupboard after wrapping them up in a muslin cloth. This muslin cloth allows the air to pass through the fabric but keeps away the moisture which is quite damaging to the saree.

•A dark corner also prevents the discoloration of the saree.

•Even while ironing the saree special care must be taken as different fabrics of sarees require different temperatures. Also, there are certain silk saris like satin which shouldn’t be sprayed with water as it leaves stains on them.

•The best way is to get them dry cleaned from a laundry rather than at home!

Tissue & Organza Sarees

•These types of sarees are quite delicate in nature and prone of getting torn easily.

•One shouldn’t leave them hanging for a long time as they lose their shape.

•Keep them wrapped in a muslin cloth or mul mul cloth for storage.

•Make sure the saree is refolded at regular times as it prevents any tear in the delicate saree.

Chiffon and Georgette Saris

•Chiffon and georgette saris require delicate handling with special care.

•Make sure you don’t wrap them too tightly or use any safety pins on them as they are very delicate and can tear easily.

•These saris have heavy zari and embroidered work on borders so they must not be left hanging too long. This is to avoid from getting it torn.

Cotton Sarees

Cotton sarees are a favorite of women for daily wear. They require special attention and maintenance.

•When these cotton sarees are washed then it should be done separately as colors of black, turquoise, navy blue bleed out of cotton sarees.

•Don’t leave them immersed in water too much.

•Dry them in shade.

•Cotton sarees look best when they are starched!

Indian Wedding Sarees-Distinctive Style from All over India

While deciding for your wedding trousseau one must keep certain things in mind like the type of ceremony you are having, type of jewellery, color preferences, embroidery etc.

Many women like to wear traditional Indian sari on their wedding day. Since India is a land of diverse cultures who come with their own sets of traditions. Thus, one gets a vast choice of saris for wedding purpose from all over India!

Here are some of the examples of five of the most famous Indian bridal saris from various parts of India

Kanjeevaram sari [South India]
These traditional saris which are made of heavy pure silk are known for their border designs adorned with gold thread and motifs like elephants, flowers, paisleys, peacocks, parrots in vibrant color combinations. These beautiful bridal saris remain untouched from the modern designs and follow the same pattern as 150 years ago.

Embroidered Zardozi Sari
This sari glorifies the ancient Parisian art known as Zardozi. Believed to be the sari of monarchs and royal artisan, these types of saris were made popular by the Mughals. Today, Zardozi saris are a favorite amongst top dress designers. The3 body of the sari is heavily decorated with pearls, sequins and jewels embroidery designs either on silk, velvet or brocade.

Bridal Zardozi sari on silk or brocade takes 4-56 months in preparation and when worn makes a bride look immensely beautiful!

Banarasi Brocade Saris
These saris are made by weaving silk with gold or silver threads which is known as the zari work. The artisans from Banaras are famous for their zari work all over the world. Influenced strongly by the Mughals, these Banarasi brocade bridal saris consist of motifs drawing images form nature, poetry, legends etc. These saris are available in various fabrics and patterns. The most famous one is the Tanchoi sari.

One can opt for a Banarasi brocade sari in colours of red, maroon and green as these are the Indian wedding colours also considered quite auspicious.

Baluchari Saris [Bengal]
Adorned with small patterns on butis, floral borders with pictorial Pallus are the trademark of Baluchari saris from Bengal. These saris are known for their narrative Pallus depicting scenes from epics like Mahabharata or Ramayana. One can find them mostly in colours of bright red, cream, yellow, white, purple, green, blue etc. The most common color combination on Baluchari bridal saris is the red and white or cream combination.

Bandhani saris [Gujarat]
These saris are made of cotton or silk with real gold thread work. It is quite suitable for brides. It boasts of bandhej or tie and dye designs which are nothing but checks woven out of gold bands of zari. It features motifs like peacocks, elephants, winter flowers etc. The golden border of the sari which makes it quite pretty is made up of Kundan and sequins work!

Choose any of the above mentioned saris for your bridal wear!

Bridal Tissue Brocade Saris- Popular Choice of Brides across Nation!

A wedding is the most important event in anyone’s life. Women especially like to deck up for their big day which they will remember for the rest of their lives. Brides are treated on that day like princesses and thus one must wear an outfit befitted for a princess.

The traditional Indian sari is quite popular amongst Indian brides all over the country. As a matter of fact, a sari brings out the elegance and charm in a women’s personality.

Indian bridal saris are available in many designs and patterns. Choosing it is a difficult task. But one of the most famous Indian bridal saris are the tissue brocade Banarasi saris. As a matter of fact, Banarasi brocade and tissue silk sarees are available in various designs and combinations which are made especially for wedding purposes!

Bridal Banarasi brocade sari
A Banarasi brocade sari is preferred by brides in large numbers as they are quite easy to carry and look much sophisticated. It adds the much needed character to your persona on your wedding day. One can opt for a Banarasi brocade sari in colours of red, maroon and green as these are the Indian wedding colours also considered quite auspicious.

These saris are made by weaving silk with gold or silver threads which is known as the zari work. The artisans from Banaras are famous for their zari work all over the world. Influenced strongly by the Mughals, these Banarasi brocade bridal saris consist of motifs drawing images form nature, poetry, legends etc. these saris are available in various fabrics and patterns. The most famous one is the Tanchoi sari.

Tissue Silk Saris
Banarasi silk saris which are famous worldwide for their golden sheen add oomph to your wedding trousseau. These saris resemble a golden cloth woven with the help of gold and silver threads. These types of saris are made by running the zari in weft, another combination of zari and silk in an extra weft and silk in warp. It gives the sari a golden sheen which is quite attractive it looks at and give you the princess like look on your big day!

A tissue Banarasi saree boasts of densely patterned golden lotuses floating in a gleaming pattern. The glazed sheen which is a trademark of bridal tissue saris is created with real gold or silver zari weft in silk warps.


Bridal tissue brocade sarees

These types of brocade sarees in embellished designs have a tissue border which makes the bridal sari look elegant!

Embroidery Designs for Sarees-Popular Designs to Choose from!

Indian embroidery designs are quite famous worldwide. In fact, one can find the rising trend of seeing the beautiful Indian embroidery done by hand over saree patterns these days. It has taken over the fancy of the Indian brides especially who love to deck up for their special occasion.

Saree is an Indian traditional wear. Although, women love to show off their sarees on special occasions, it still remains favorite daily wear amongst women of all ages.

Embroidered sarees are in fashion right now. What are best about these sarees are their designs. One can choose from a variety of styles and designs available under embroidery designs and select the best material for their saree and have it custom made.

Designer sarees are considered quite an extravagant affair meant for special occasions like weddings, birthdays, events, festivals etc.

There are different types of embroidery designs that fall under Indian embroidery for sarees. One can choose from cutwork, crewl, patchwork, ribbon, bead work, appliqué, flower, religious, chikankari embroidery styles for your sarees.

Let’s have a brief look at some of the most popular embroidery designs for sarees

Chikankari Embroidery Designs
Chikankari is quite an elegant and stylish form of Indian embroidery preferred by many women. This type of embroidery looks great on a saree whether in flat stitch, embossed stitch and jail work! Chikankari is done by hand very delicately. That is why it is a favorite amongst women of all ages who love to wear a chikankari designer saree!

Beaded Embroidery Designs
Perhaps one of the most popular embroidery designs, beaded embroidery can add that much needed shine in your over all look! This type of designs when done on saree brings out the luster which manages to capture the attention of everyone round you. The work is done with beads of different size and types sewn together to form beautiful designs. One can choose from designs like glass beads, wooden beads, metallic beads and plastic beads.

Appliqué Embroidery Designs
This form of embroidery involves sewing together different fabrics onto one basic fabric either with hand or machine via inlaying or outlaying. It is quite a famous form of Indian embroidery designs for sarees!

Patchwork Embroidery Designs
This beautiful form of Indian embroidery designs involves sewing together different designs to form one new pattern either with hand or machine!

Other famous embroidery designs for sarees include floral designs and crewl embroidery designs which involve sketching a design on fabric and later carving it with the help of wool!

Is Your Kanjeevaram Sari A Fake?

How can you tell the difference between a fake Kanjeevaram sari and a genuine Kanjeevaram sari? After all these saris don’t come cheap. A normal Kanjeevaram sari can cost anywhere round between 1,000-50,000 depending upon the type!

Indian sari is a traditional wear for Indian women since many centuries. Over the years the sari has evolved and changed styles but its basic pattern remains the same. Kanjeevaram saris which are a specialty of South India originated from the town of Kanchipuram some 150 years ago.

Kanchipuram Silk SarisThe town which is untouched by the modern world still produces the best Kanjeevaram saris in the country. These saris which have a heavier silk base as compared to the other saris make use of gold dipped threads for creating patterns like peacocks and parrots on them.

Normally, it is believed that the heavier the silk of your Kanjeevaram sari, the better is quality. But how can one check the quality of the silk?

Here are few ways in which you can identify your Kanjeevaram sari from an imitation or fake sari

Kanjeevaram Saris•To check for quality of silk of your Kanjeevaram sari is very important. One can find the silk initially thick and glossy upon the Pallu on inspection. But once you feel inside you might notice that it is only half the thickness and not full fledged which is a trademark of a Kanjeevaram sari!

•A low quality Kanjeevaram sari will have just two ply silk as compared to the original three ply silk used in weaving.

Kanjeevaram Silk Sarees•One can also check for zari. The original Kanjeevaram sari makes use of gold dipped thread where as fake gold zari is used in an imitation sari. See if the zari used in the sari has thread covered with flattened silver in centre and gold on the outer surface or not.

•How to test zari for fakeness- just scratch or scrape the zari and check if a red silk emerges from the core of the sari. If not, ten it is not a real Kanjeevaram sari!

•Besides one can also see through the border, body and even the Pallu of the Kanjeevaram sari.

Just remember a genuine Kanjeevaram silk sari is woven separately and then interlocked together to produce the exquisite designs!

Patola Sarees-Specially From Gujarat!

Some women like to get sarees from every region of India to add to their collection. For such women, if you miss out on Patola sarees from Gujarat then you are surely missing out on something! These are very famous sarees known for their intricate designs and color patterns!

They are indeed the most time consuming sarees made in the whole western region of India! They consist of intricately mixed five color designs with resist dye in both the warp and weft before the weaving starts. It gives a look of reversible fabric to the Patola saree.

History of Patola sarees
These sarees can be dated back to 13th century. Their presence have been registered for the time when Hindu Salve community created these sarees and Muslim Vohra community traded them to South East Asia!

Inspirations for these sarees came from the South Indian temples like Maatansheri in Kerala and Padbhapunam in South Tamil Nadu. During that era, these Patola sarees were favored by the elite aristocratic class of the region. Mostly Vohras, Jains and Hindus [Brahmins] could afford to wear Patola sarees on various occasions like weddings!

The fall of Solanki dynasty and take over by Gujarati merchants later sealed the fate of the sarees in the hands of this state. Patola sarees have since then became a trademark of Gujarat state in India!

The three famous designs of Patola sarees are

Geometric patterns in repetitive designs which derive inspiration from Muslim architectural designs and ajrk which is complex geometric designs of Sind. For example- Navratna Bhat.

Floral and Vegetal designs

These designs were created specially keeping in mind the choices of Muslim Vohra community who didn’t prefer animals and people prints on their sarees. Instead floral and vegetal designs were introduced which were favored by communities like paan bhat, vohra, chaabdi bhat.

One can witness designs like a dancing woman [nari], Kinijan [elephant] and popat [parrot] on the Patola sarees. As a matter of fact, Muslims and Maharashtrians have their own special versions of these sarees meant for special occasions. For instance Mahrashtians prefer Nari Kunj sarees with plain dark colors and border containing women and border motifs!