For many centuries, Chanderi has been a designation of origin for fabrics that come from the city where these weavers have lived for centuries, specializing in making sarees for royalty. Extremely lightweight, with an enchanting shimmer and a diaphanous transparency because they are made with silk threads from which the sericin has not been removed, thus allowing them to be spun into ultra-fine grammage without breaking, as if they were "woven with air." Chanderi pure silk with zari (hand-made gold threads) were woven exclusively in this city of Madhya Pradesh, where they are still made today, employing over 60% of its population.
The oldest records of this silk date back to the 3rd century BCE... but in the ancient texts of the Mahabharata, there are also mentions of chanderi sarees finely embroidered with tiny pearls. However, weaving in the city truly flourished in the Mughal era and under the Rajput Empire, as the maharajas patronized their weavers, who made gold-embroidered sarees, these much-appreciated items were an absolute synonym of finesse.
Nowadays, Chanderi cotton/silk has become popular, using cotton in the warp, as none of these artisans would know how to use a loom that weaves only cotton. Therefore, this chanderi still carries the transparency of 100% silk chanderi and the freshness of these two materials, making it a delightful fabric to wear in the summer, as it is very thin and highly breathable.
The loom here tells an ancient story and is part of the culture of a people.