The textile tradition of Bengal is very ancient. It is known for it’s finest fabric produced in either pure cotton or pure silk, but not in mixed yarn.

A traditional baluchari saree is hand-woven with chosen yarn (originally silk, now cotton is also accepted, but not mixed), using motifs and designs depicting scenes from mythology. They are manufactured in Bishnupur, a village in West Bengal.

The saree got it’s name, Baluchari, because the weavers originally came from a village called Baluchar, near Murshidabad.

Murshidabad, the capital of the Nawabs of Bengal, was highly reputed for the cultivation of finest quality silk. The soft and shiny fabric from here had been in great demand. It was one of the primary products that East India Company exported to England. Most European countries that traded in India had set up silk factories here. Until the early 18th century the textile industry her had a booming business. Due to series of natural calamities and the political turmoil, the industry started moving to Bishnupur by the end of the century.

Bishnupur, a small village in Bengal today, had been the capital of the great Malla kingdom. The Malla dynasty, was an ancient, very peaceful and prosperous, kingdom consisting of modern day Bankura district, and portion of Jharkhand. The dynasty ruled for around 1300 years from 7th century AD till the advent of British rule.

The Malla kings were great patrons of art and culture which is reflected in its rich architecture and handicrafts. The terracotta temples built in the 17th-18th cent. are a world heritage. These temple became the inspiration for the motifs which dominates a traditional baluchari saree.

Baluchari sarees are made using tussar silk and dyed in natural colours. These sarees were originally built using traditional Jala Loom. During the revival of baluchari weaving in the 20th century, jala was replaced by the Jacquard Technique of weaving The beautiful motifs that dominate the sarees, depicting epics tales, were inspired from the terracotta temples. Though all Baluchari sarees have similar designs , they can be categorized on the basis of the thread used in motifs.

There are three main variation :

• Resham Baluchari - The simplest saree in which the entire pattern is woven with silk thread of single colour.
• Meenakari baluchari - The pattern are built using threads of two or more colours with attractive Meenakari. Meenakari is a weaving technique utilizing fine threads and ultra fine weave to create colourful paintings on sarees.
• Swarnachuri - As the name indicates, golden or silver colour threads are used to create Meenakari.

In modern time, another variation of Baluchari has been introduced. These saree are termed as organic baluchari. Here cotton thread is combined with fibres of banana plant, bamboo shoots. Colours for the dye are extracted from fruits, leaves and flowers.

Although the ancient village of Baluchar is now submerged under Bhagirathi and its tributaries, the tradition of weaving on the looms is being carried forward by the young generation of weavers in the town of Bishnupur. The mythological designs make a Baluchari saree perfect for ceremonial and festive occasions, subtly retelling epic stories from history.