# 6 Best Sari Shops in Mumbai > We've rounded up the 6 best sari shops in Mumbai, your guide to the world of traditional Indian fashion. Find out where to look for the perfect sari for yourself or as a gift. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/6-naikrashchykh-mahazyniv-sari-v-mumbai/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-08-09 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Leisure, Tours, India, Food & Drinks --- The pre-stitched sari is a wonderful thing, for obvious reasons. But if you're a purist who prefers draping and pleating over simply slipping something on, you'll want to follow this guide to the six best sari shops in Mumbai. ## 1. Kala Niketan If sari anxiety is a real condition, then Kala Niketan will definitely trigger it. In crowded Mumbai, two stores in Marine Lines and Juhu take up more than 3,700 square meters. And both are packed wall to wall and floor to ceiling with saris and salwar kameez fabrics. There's a reason the city's fashionable ladies count it among the best sari shops around: variety. From Banarasi weaves to South Indian silks, cottons, bandhani and prints, all the way to trendy embroidered and sequinned pieces, they find comfort in sheer numbers. From behind the fabric-covered counters, the men, some young, most of them older, unfold, fold, spread out and fold again, all with the same expression on their faces. Occasionally they'll smile when a young woman makes a cheeky remark about her blouse design. ## 2. Nalli ![](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-42-1-2024.jpg) A few months ago, when a Malayali friend from Mumbai decided to get married, she immediately booked tickets to Chennai. She was convinced her wedding sari had to come from the original Nalli sari store. For those of us who'd rather stay within the city to satisfy our craving for South Indian Kanjeevaram silks, Mumbai's Nalli is flawless. Although the store spans three floors, it's the ground floor that stays special. This is where you'll find the silk saris with golden patterns. The price depends on whether the zari is artificial thread, gold-plated silver, or the real gold thing. While shop staff are almost always helpful, at Nalli they're especially warm. They'll drape a sari over you, and then over themselves. If you still don't look convinced, they'll offer you a cup of their special South Indian filter coffee. ## 3. Warp 'n' Weft Don't be fooled by its size. Or its worn-out signboard. In this two-level space, Sagrika Rai's sari shop not only keeps the city's finest Banarasi saris, she'll happily give customers a crash course in weaving techniques. "I try to revive old Indian motifs, like Shikargah (a woven sari depicting animals and birds)," says Rai. Unnecessary glitter, messy zari borders and embroidery are banned on the handwoven saris at Warp 'n' Weft. Only intricate patterns with traditional motifs, such as paisley, kamal buti and jangla (vine), pass the test. Although people in Mumbai often equate Banarasi saris with heavy silk, the ones here, made from materials like silk, cotton, tussar and georgette, are very light. "This is what genuine Banarasi patterns actually feel like," says Rai. While yellows and reds (the colors of haldi and kumkum) were this season's favorites, whites and beiges are always held in high regard. ## 4. Khatri Jamnadas Bechardas Two years ago, when the Khatri Jamnadas Bechardas sari shop celebrated its centenary, they had to shut their doors because they hadn't expected such a crowd. The store may not have trendy mannequins and flashy billboards, but ask any Gujarati or Marwari shopper worth her purse, and she'll point you here for the best bandhani saris in town. Made using the tie-and-dye method, the quality of a bandhani sari is judged by how tightly it's tied. That's exactly why they're genuinely tricky to display. At Jamnadas, instead of a glass display case, the saris are wrapped in fabric knots so they keep their pattern longer. Bandhani in every color and material is on offer here in abundance. But this sari shop is especially prized for its bridal and festive wear, such as the Gharchola (a sari with red checks and gold thread) and the Panetar (red and white checks). ## 5. Sagar ![](/storage/image/prev/august-article-image-42-2-2024.jpg) After an aesthetically tragic phase when embroidered saris were all the rage, Sumit Jain of Sagar is happy to announce that woven saris are back. "People are choosing simple saris with interesting borders," he says. Chances are, if you ask anyone between Bandra and Santacruz about a sari shop, you'll be pointed toward Sagar. Founded in 1963, the store started out with just 27 square meters of space. Today it takes up two floors. Though the location has stayed the same. Prints, the eternal favorites, get just as much attention as the money-makers, the embroidered pieces. In between, Sagar buys and sells cotton, georgette, net and silk. Unlike many places that hand you only a piece of blouse fabric but not an actual blouse, the Sagar sari shop has its own tailors who stitch these tricky little garments. ## 6. Dadar Market Picking a single shop here would be deeply unfair. For over four decades, the market near the Plaza cinema has looked after the wardrobes of Dadar's women. The shops line both sides of a cozy street. Lazaree, Paaneri and Rangoli Annexe sit across from Roopmilan and Dadar Emporium. Although they originally catered to the middle class of the area's Maharashtrian population, in recent years curious sari shoppers have started dropping by too. Their main advantage is the price, which stays affordable. Even though shops like Lazaree and Paaneri have raised the bar with fancier mannequins and security guards, they haven't lost sight of their working-class customer. This market is also your best bet for sari shops selling the traditional Maharashtrian nine-yard Navari sari, which, by the way, is the original sari style of Mumbai. Jilmil Motihar is a freelance journalist, people-watcher and traveler.