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Not the goddess. A companion of the goddess. There is a kind of quiet devotion in that. In choosing to arrive at one of the world’s most visited temples not as a celebrity, but as someone who dressed carefully for the occasion. Cream silk. A korvai border in rani pink and deep orange. Gold zari catching the kind of light you only find on temple steps in the afternoon.
The saree she wore was a Kanchipuram silk from Kankatala. And if you look at the photograph, it does not announce itself. It simply belongs.
@kankatala_ — Mrunal Thakur in a handpicked Kanchipuram silk saree
The saree, and why it works
The border on a Kanchipuram silk saree tells you everything. This one is a korvai. The border and the body woven separately, on two different looms, by two weavers working in tandem, then interlocked by hand. The colour shift from cream to that deep rani pink at the join is not a print or a dye. It is two separate weaves becoming one.
That is not something you can fake, and it is not something a machine can replicate. A well-executed korvai border is seamless. You do not see where one ends and the other begins. You just see the saree.
This is the first thing the Kankatala family looks for when handpicking sarees at the loom in Kanchipuram. A border that belongs.
Why Kanchipuram, why Tirupati
For generations of South Indian women, this pairing has never needed explaining. The weight of a Kanchipuram silk, the formality of it, the way it holds its drape — it carries the right kind of intention for a temple visit. It says: I dressed for this. This mattered to me.
Mrunal understood that instinctively. Or perhaps her stylist did, and she saw the saree and said yes, which amounts to the same thing.
These sarees are also not worn once. Kankatala has customers whose daughters came to the store wearing their grandmothers’ Kanchipuram silks. A handloom saree has no fixed size and no expiry. It belongs to every generation that chooses to keep it.
About Kankatala’s Kanchipuram collection
Every saree in the collection is handpicked directly from weaver families in Kanchipuram, families with whom Kankatala has worked for over 50 years. The silk, the zari, the weave density, the korvai craftsmanship — all of it is verified in person at the loom before a saree enters the store. Every piece is Silk Mark certified.
Shop the Kanchipuram CollectionVisit Kankatala in Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, and Vijayawada — or shop at kankatala.com
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Korvai Border Kanchipuram Bridal Kanchipuram Pure Zari Kanchipuram All Kanchipuram SareesFrequently Asked Questions
What saree is Mrunal Thakur wearing?
A handpicked Kanchipuram silk saree from Kankatala, with a korvai border in rani pink, deep orange, and gold zari on a warm cream body.
What is a korvai border?
A korvai border is woven separately from the saree body on a second loom, then interlocked with it by hand. The distinct colour shift at the join is its signature — a hallmark of authentic, high-craft Kanchipuram weaving.
Are Kankatala sarees handmade?
Yes. Every saree is handwoven by weaver families in Kanchipuram and personally handpicked by the Kankatala family at the loom. The family has maintained these weaver relationships for over 50 years.
Where can I buy a Kanchipuram saree from Kankatala?
Shop at kankatala.com or visit any of the 14 Kankatala stores across Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry, Vijayawada, and other cities.
