One of the best destinations to buy a silk saree is Kanchipuram. The sarees are woven in the city from pure mulberry silk. At present, over 500 families are involved in this industry. Their creations are marketed through cooperative societies in the city and the state.

The sarees themselves are quite unique, making use of gold and silver threads, with motifs weaved into them. Since Kanchipuram is first and foremost a temple town, the motifs are generally related to temple life and worship. But now, geometric patterns and other themes are also being incorporated. Given the amount of skill and time involved in its creation, a Kanjeevaram saree can cost lakhs of rupees. However, the copper and synthetic thread ones are much more affordable and readily available.

There are several shops near Vardaraja Temple, as well as co-op societies in town where you can get some really good deals on sarees. A number of retailers also sell Kanchipuram sarees, from daily wear to wedding ensemble. In fact, a lot of people from neighbouring cities, like Chennai and Bengaluru, prefer to drive down to Kanchipuram and pick Kanjeevaram and silk sarees from here, rather than buying it in the bigger metros. This is largely because there is a noticeable and significant difference in price and quality in the sarees sold in Kanchipuram.