Originating from the  temple town of Kanchipuram, close to Chennai, Tamilnadu, Kanchi silks are woven with mulberry silk and zari. According to Hindu mythology, Kanchi silk weavers are the descendants of Sage Markanda, the master weaver of Gods who is supposed to have woven tissue from lotus fiber. The silk sarees are woven using the three shuttle technique. The body, border and pallu are woven separately and then interlocked together.  The borders are often contrasting to the body and this feature is what makes the kanchipuram sarees interesting.

Temple borders, checks, stripes and floral (buttas) are traditional designs found on a Kanchipuram sarees. In 2005, the Kanchipuram silk sarees were tagged with the geographical identification.