Surat Zari Craft

Ramayana, Mahabharata, Rigveda, etc., indicates that the art of zari making was prevalent in this country since ancient times. A reference of gold cloth is also found in the literature of

Megasthenes who visited India in the third century B.C. In Gujarat the zari industry of Surat has enjoyed an important place in the industrial history of Gujarat. Zari industry is also reached a new height during the Moghul period. During Moghul period, Surat was popularly known as Zari City. Surat is the only and world famous centre in the production of zari thread and zari embroidery material in the world. 

Surat Zari is a combination of yarn (silk & cotton) and some metals like gold, silver or copper which is plenty used by the textile, handicraft and other industries in the country.

The processes involved in zari manufacturing can broadly be grouped depending up on the final product Viz., Real zari and Imitation zari.

The art of Zari making has been transferred from generation to generation among a particular community called RANA and so also their skill. Normally the wire is drawn between 1600-1800 yards per ounce but the craftsmen of Surat are so highly skilled that they possess the capability to draw fine wire up to a fineness of 2500 yards per ounce thinner than human hair which is a big achievement in itself. The process of selection and procurement of raw material by the manufacturers of Surat Zari has also helps making the product unique among the Zari products.

It will be interesting to note here that all zari manufacturing machines right from wiredrawing to the end, are locally manufactured and this remarkable achievement in self-reliance makes this industry all the more significant and important in the National Economy.

Surat Zari Craft was produced by using pure metals like gold, silver etc. It is called true Zari. True zari, pasa, has the unique property of being limited only to pure gold and silver metal, a silver bar is covered with a thin sheet of pure gold and then it is drawn into a finer wire of different gauges to form “badla” (in local language) which is wounded over base yarn mainly on pure silk and the process of making this zari were done by manual operations.