India GOWhat to buy in Varanasi, and where
The thing to bring home from Varanasi is Banarasi silk, and the city has a handful of other crafts protected by Geographical Indication: pink meenakari enamel, lacquered wooden toys, beaten metalwork, glass beads. Most are made in specific quarters of the old city. Start with a fixed price to train your eye, then buy close to the workshop.
Varanasi's famous buys, and where to find them
The crafts below are made in the city; silk brocade, pink meenakari, wooden toys and metal repoussé are on the district administration's list of GI-registered crafts.
Banarasi silk saris and brocade
Brocade with gold and silver thread, registered as Banaras Brocades and Sarees. It is woven in the weaving quarters: in Madanpura, Momin Ansari master weavers are known for fine kinkhwab brocade, and family showrooms sell a step from the loom. A complex sari can take from a fortnight to six months. Ask to see the reverse of the weave before you buy. For fixed prices and plain explanations, Mehrotra Silk Factory near Cantt station (it can ship) and Baba Blacksheep in Bhelupur, where the owner will run a burn test; to see the very top of the range, the Tilfi flagship at Rathyatra.
Gulabi meenakari (pink enamel)
Pink-toned enamel fused onto silver and gold, a court craft about two hundred years old, GI-registered in 2015. It survives in a handful of family workshops around Gai Ghat: enamelled birds, elephants, jewellery and small boxes, light to carry and unlike anything else in the bazaars. Visits are arranged through the workshops or a local guide.
Lacquered wooden toys
Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware and Toys is a GI craft turned on lathes in family workshops at Khojwa and Kashmiri Ganj. Birds, animals and figures are made from one block, without joints, and finished with lacquer burnished on the spinning wood, which makes them a good present for small children. Watching costs nothing; buy directly from the workshop.
Hand-beaten brass and copper
In Thatheri Bazar near Chowk the thatheras, hereditary metalsmiths, still beat lamps, lotas, kamandals (ritual water pots), puja trays and bells by hand, and you hear the lane before you see it. Much of it is sold by weight rather than by label, and the solid brass figures of gods here come out heavier and better finished than tourist castings. Banaras Metal Repousse Craft is GI-registered too.
Malas, murtis and ittar
Vishwanath Gali, the lane towards the temple, packs nearly every small souvenir into a few hundred metres: rudraksha malas (prayer beads), brass and stone murtis of Shiva and Ganesha, small bottles of ittar (oil-based perfume), bangles, wooden toys and inexpensive silk. Quality varies widely: bargain politely, and buy serious silk elsewhere.
Books on India
Varanasi is a good city to buy serious books. Indica Books in Godowlia, with a branch at Assi, is an Indology bookshop and publisher with two floors of scripture, philosophy, yoga and Sanskrit studies. Harmony The Book Shop at Assi is one small room with deep shelves; Pilgrims Book House near Durgakund carries its own reprints of rare India titles. More on the bookstores page.
Start at the crafts complex
Deendayal Hastkala Sankul at Bada Lalpur, the trade facilitation centre and crafts museum opened by the Ministry of Textiles in 2017, is the sensible first stop. Three museum galleries cover 41 kinds of Banarasi weave, carpets and 425 handicraft objects, and weaving is demonstrated on working looms. Alongside are marts where certified artisans sell GI crafts (silk, meenakari, wooden toys, metalwork) at fixed prices. An hour here tells you what good work looks like and what a fair price is, before the bazaars start naming theirs. On weekend evenings musicians play in its open-air amphitheatre.
Bargaining and touts
Outside the fixed-price shops, the first price is an opening move: bargain politely and walk away if it does not move. UK travel advice warns that scammers and touts target visitors in tourist areas. The simplest defences are the crafts complex, the fixed-price shops above and buying where the work is made.
FAQ
What is Varanasi famous for to buy?
Banarasi silk saris and brocade above all, then gulabi meenakari enamel, lacquered wooden toys, hand-beaten brass and copper, rudraksha malas, ittar and books on India.
Where can I buy genuine Banarasi silk?
In the weaving quarters such as Madanpura, close to the loom, or at fixed-price shops such as Mehrotra Silk Factory and Baba Blacksheep. The government crafts complex, Deendayal Hastkala Sankul, sells certified GI silk at fixed prices.
How can I tell real Banarasi silk?
Ask to see the reverse of the weave, and ask for a burn test, which honest shops will do in front of you. A shop that explains the difference between pure silk and a blend is a good sign.
What can I buy near Kashi Vishwanath?
Vishwanath Gali, the lane to the temple, sells rudraksha malas, murtis of Shiva and Ganesha, ittar, bangles, wooden toys and prasad. Quality varies, so bargain.
Which are the famous markets in Varanasi?
Vishwanath Gali for small souvenirs, Thatheri Bazar for brass and copper, and the Godowlia and Chowk area of the old city. More on the Varanasi markets page.
Sources (4)
Facts checked: 15 October 2026. Prices and hours are approximate; check locally.
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