pure Pattu sarees are mostly weaved in kanjivaram located very close to Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. From the past Kanchipuram silk sarees stand out from others due to its intricate weaving patterns and the quality of the silk itself. Kanchipuram silk sarees are large and heavy owing to the zari work on the saree.

Kanchipuram attracts a large number of people, both from India and abroad, who come specifically to buy the silk sarees. Most of the sarees are still handwoven by workers in the weaving unit. More than 5000 families still indulge in silk weaving.

In 2008 the noted film director Priyadarshan made a Tamil film Kanchivaram about the silk weavers of the town during the pre-independence period. The film won the Best Film Award at the annual National Film Awards.

Origin of raw SILK
Silk in the Indian subcontinent is a luxury good. In India, about 97% of the raw mulberry silk is produced in the five Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir.Mysore and North Bangalore, the upcoming site of a US$20 million “Silk City”, contribute to a majority of silk production.

Another emerging silk producer in Tamil Nadu where mulberry cultivation is concentrated in Salem, Erode and Dharmapuri districts. Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh and Gobichettipalayam, Tamil Nadu were the first locations to have automated silk reeling units