| Garad saree | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Production area | |
| Country |  India |
| State | West Bengal |
| Location | Mirzapur |
| Details | |
| Origin Place | Murshidabad andBirbhum, West Bengal |
| Ingredients | Silk |
| Length | 5.50–6.50 m |
| Breadth | 1.20 m |
| Style | Bengal tradition |
| Borders | 4–7 inches (10–18 cm) |
| Usage | Festival |
| Status | |
| GI Status | Registered |
| Application No. | 703 |
Garad saree (Bengali:গরদ শাড়ি) is a traditional handwovensaree (sari) ofWest Bengal. It is produced inMurshidabad andBirbhum districts of West Bengal. Mrityunjay Sarkar, a weaver ofMirzapur, is the inventor of this famous saree.[1] This handloom saree is famous for the beautiful delicate designs on theanchal and "butti", the use of 100% pure silk in the weave and the saree fineness of the fabric. In 2024, Garad Saree received recognition as a RegisteredGeographical indication.[2]
This saree is traditionally woven on fly shuttle pit looms using 90-92S silk yarn and golden zari yarn. Plain border and ground, or additional warp J/C orjala designs on the border and ground are observed on sarees. In the past, the saree had no design on the border, body andaanchal, and this saree was a symbol of holiness, purity and good shine. Even at present,Bengali Hindu women wear this saree duringpujas, especially during theAshtami puja ofDurga Puja and theSindur khela on the day ofBishorjan. The specialty of the Garad saree is that it is given a simple traditionalKha'i Māṛa orKhai Finish and finally folded into a special shape calledpat.[2]
The weaving community of Raghunathganj and Murarai regions, make these sarees. As of 2024, more than 600looms are involved in Garad saree weaving inMurshidabad andBirbhum districts ofWest Bengal. In the financial year 2018–19, Garad sarees with a value of₹149.6 million (equivalent to₹190 million or US$2.2 million in 2023) crore were traded.[3]
The silk industry of Murshidabad district is quite old, silk industry has been the main industry for the last three centuries. The district was famous for silk during the pre-British period. At that time, the main center of the silk industry wasCossimbazar in Murshidabad, where the company opened a factory around 1658 AD. Initially, factory operations were limited. Cossimbazar was the general silk market ofBengal; from here it was exported to a large part of Asia.[2]
Garad weaving started in the late 19th century. This saree was first woven inMirzapur in the presentMurshidabad district. This famous cloth was invented by Mrutynjoy Sarkar, a weaver from Mirzapur. In the past this saree was a symbol of aristocracy. Saswankosekhar Gambhira, Monoranjan Posti, Shyam Sahana and Manindra Biro of Mirzapur won for their garad weaving skills in various competitions and exhibitions.[2]
PoliticianPadmaja Naidu was theGovernor of West Bengal between 1956 and 1967, wearing only Shyam Sahana's woven Garad Saree. Since then, these sarees also became popular as "Padmaja" after the name of the former Governor of Bengal. Also,Indira Gandhi, first womanPrime Minister of India, regularly procured sarees from Mirzapur.[2][1]
