Chanderi has been a designation of origin for the fabrics that come from the city where these weavers who specialized in making sarees for royalty have lived for centuries. Very light, with a charming shine and a diaphanous transparency as they are made with silk threads from which the sericin has not been removed, thus allowing them to be spun in ultra-fine weights without breaking, as if they were "fabrics with air". Pure silk chanderis with zari (hand-woven gold thread) were made exclusively in this city of Madhya Pradesh, where they are still made to this day, employing more than 60% of its population.
The oldest reports of this silk date back to the 3rd century BC...but in the ancient texts of the Mahabarata there are also mentions of chanderi saris finely embroidered with tiny pearls. But weaving in the city really flourished in the Mughal era and under the Rajput Empire as the maharajas sponsored their weavers, who made sarees embroidered with gold, these much appreciated and were an absolute synonym of finesse.
Nowadays, chanderi cotton/silk has become popular, which uses 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 delicious fabric to use in the summer, as it is very thin and highly permeable.
The loom here tells an ancient story and is part of the culture of a people.