Kancheepuram has become eponymous for its silk saris, both in India and abroad. The Kancheepuram silk sari got its Geographical Indication tag in 2005.
The handloom silk saris are prized attire for weddings and other special occasions: a Kancheepuram silk sari can cost anywhere between ₹10,000 and ₹1,00,000. The intricate process of getting the sari ready involves dyeing of the raw silk, drying it under the scorching sun for four to five hours, spinning, warping, and, finally, weaving. The process can take 10-15 days.
Up to the turn of the century (early 2000s), the Kancheepuram silk sari enjoyed tremendous patronage. But now, with shifting fashion trends, competition from the faster power loom and the availability of cheaper artificial silk, there are fewer buyers, the weavers say. Earlier, customers and traders were willing to wait for two weeks for the sari to get woven but today they prefer readymade ones.
