Tanchoi

Tanchoi saris are one of a kind, having spots all over the surface and woven with a dual color warp. The stand-alone feature of the Tanchoi sari is that the fabric texture background has a satin finish. Extra threads are added to give these saris appearance of being embroidered.

Famed for the intricate and small weaving patterns over the fabric, the commonly used motifs are those of flowers, small birds in flight, peacocks and parrots. In fact, Tanchoi Silk is said to have been brought to India by Chinese traders in the 19th century and later adapted to suit the preferences of Indian market.

Three Parsi brothers are said to have traveled from India to China in the 19th century and were enamored by the technique. After learning the skill, they came back to Surat, Gujarat and trained the weavers in the technique and then evolved the Tanchoi weaving technique into Indian versions.