The drape, the delicacy, the artistry and the sheer majesty of the Chanderi Saree is a secret passed down from generation to generation. Echoing the grandeur of a bygone era. Well protected in the town of Chanderi with its fortress like base of a hill sarees craftsmanship defies the wrinkled hands and deep set eyes of the craftsman working with single minded dedication. Weaving sarees through the proverbial 'hole in the finger nail'. The magic is in thread, warp and weft.

In Chanderi, locally grown cotton was spun as fine as 300s counts. The fame of Chanderi cottons competed with the famed muslins of Dhaka. After the industrial revolution, the import of mill spun 120s to 200s count Manchester yarn via Calcutta wiped out this local strain of Chanderi cottons. Around the 1930s Japanese silk came to Chaderi via Calcutta and was introduced in the wrap while cotton was retained in the weft of the Chanderi. This combination continues till date with the entirely silk by silk varieties. Problems in brush sizing fine cotton, higher preference for silk (silk by silk 60%, silk by cotton 30% to 40% of the production) and higher profits with silk have contributed to the end of cotton by cotton sarees in the course of the 20th century.
                Today, though modern fly shuttle looms are being used, still the magic of the master weaver is not lost. The fame and elegance of the soft Chanderi colours lie in their constant reference to nature. Motifs drawn from earth and sky. Hunting scenes, the tree of life. Man, woman, birds, fruits, flowers, heavenly bodies. All exquisite detail far surpassing their role models.
         The Chanderi colours always show a preference for harmony between the borders and the body of the sarees. However, there are some typical contrasting combinations like black against red and Ganga - Jamuna sarees, with green on one border and red or Kumkum on the other with a natural offwhite body.

Chanderi is also famous for weaving and extremely fine zari band (patti) right up to the selvedge edge, known as Piping kinar. Great attention is paid to the Buti or Motif in the body which enriches the design vocabulary.
Meenakari or inlay in the Motif and the Addedar Patela in which the band is woven to jewelled cut-work effect are latest additions.
Kalgi is another typical Chanderi Motif that runs along the edge of the border. The use of the fine echoing lines called Baccha is also a Chanderi characteristic.

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