Kadhwa / Phekwa (North India) ~ Golani / Chalaani (Bengal)
The weaving traditions in all textiles work on predetermined designed cards (the jacquard loom) or the embroidery of motifs by hand, by memory. Counting recounting, swapping colours, beautiful designs emerge. These are family traditions passed down through generations. Invaluable and needs to be preserved.
The Jacquard style with as many as thousands of cards where thread is automatically passed is called phekwa or chalaani. The handmade version is called Kahwa or Golaani.
The prices differ accordingly and the handmade versions are obviously expensive and more time consuming. It is important to know what you are paying for and why? To recognize a regular from the special turn the saree over. A jacquard cheaper version will have threads overlapping which will be eventually cut. The handmade ones have no extra threads and have a beginning and end. So the next time you buy a saree you must learn and know what you are paying for.