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Shopping in Varanasi

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The city of Varanasi has been a center and the melting pot of culture and tradition from ages. The ethnic artifacts, traditional handicrafts and other articles somehow manage to exhibit the cultural and traditional heritage of the ancient city, preserving and passing it down through successive generations. Today shopping in Varanasi is a delightful experience, as its busy markets had shops offers the best of embroideries, souvenirs and other items not to be missed.

Amongst the most famous buys, silk weaving is regarded as cities specialty and it is claimed that nowhere in the world is found such fine embroidery. Brassware, gold jewelry, ivory ware, wall hangings, woodcraft, carpets, lampshades are also highly popular.

Varanasi was also the city that saw musical legends like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Bismillah Khan livening up its air by their charming music. This has also resulted in the popularity of various skillfully designed musical instruments like Sitars, Tabla, Pakhawaj and Shehnai that are now famous throughout the world.

Banarasi Sari

A special mention must be made about the Banarasi Saree that serves as cities very own claim to fame. Famous throughout the country as an Indian woman's coveted possession, Banarasi Saree has been an important part of the Indian bride wardrobe for a long time. Exhibiting the masterful skills and genius of the traditional weaver, the Banarasi saris reached their peak during the Mughal era that saw the amalgamation of Indian designs and Persian motifs.

The Banarasi sari comes mainly in four different varieties namely, the pure silk (katan), georgette, organza (kora) with zari and silk and shattir. An ideal Banarasi Sari comprises of around 5600 thread wires with 45-inch width and takes around 15 days to complete. The city dominates the silk weaving arena in the world. Now a part and parcel of most ceremonies in the city, Banaras Brocades has no competition whatsoever in the world market.