The sarees of Arani
A town in north Tamil Nadu known for its light silk saris and silk cloth, often woven plain with narrow zari borders.
Motifs of Arani
Woven here
Best time: November to February.
Arani is a small town in Tiruvannamalai district, in northern Tamil Nadu. It is known for silk weaving, and its saris are generally lighter and more modest in zari than those of nearby Kanchipuram. They are valued for everyday and office wear as well as functions.
What is woven here
Arani weavers make silk saris and silk cloth, often with narrow zari borders and simple bodies. Because they carry less zari, they are lighter and cheaper to make than the heaviest wedding saris. Plain colours, small checks and light pallus are typical. The same town also produces silk by the metre for dress use.
The craft and its people
Weaving here is done in households and small units, and the trade is spread across the town and nearby villages. Cooperative societies and private firms buy yarn and sell cloth. The industry is small compared with Kanchipuram but has a steady local reputation.
Seeing it
Arani is best visited as a day trip from Kanchipuram or Vellore. Ask at the town's cooperative society or at shops on the main road about weavers who welcome visitors, and expect a working town rather than a tourist site.
A trail idea for Arani
- Cooperative society outlet A good first stop to ask which weaving streets are open to visitors.
- Weavers' homes on the town edge Look for looms set inside the front rooms of houses.
- Town market Silk saris and cloth by the metre are sold side by side.
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Arani, Tamil Nadu" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and workshops change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Arani silk saree: Balu 606902, CC BY-SA 3.0, source