Our Story

In 1997, Rajiv Shah and Manisha Shah opened a modest saree store in the bustling lanes of Abids, Hyderabad. There was no grand plan and no large showroom — only a small space, a shared love for India’s handloom traditions, and a promise to treat every customer as family. What they had in abundance was an eye for a genuinely beautiful weave and the patience to explain its story to anyone who cared to listen.

Word travelled the way it always does when something is honest. A saree bought for a daughter’s wedding brought back the mother a season later. A festival drape recommended by a neighbour brought in her whole street. Year after year, that small store in Abids grew — not by chasing trends, but by earning trust one drape at a time.

Nearly three decades on, the shop that began with a single category has blossomed into a destination for every kind of women’s textile. Today, under the same family stewardship, Sri Manisha Sarees offers handloom and silk sarees, dress materials, kurtis, bedsheets, fabrics by the metre, bridal and festive wear, and much more — each section curated with the same care that Rajiv and Manisha brought to their very first bolt of cloth.

From wholesale supply to retail counters, and now to customers across India through our online store, the business has expanded in reach without ever letting go of the values it was built on: authenticity, honesty, and a deep respect for the artisans behind every weave.

India holds one of the world’s richest and most diverse textile traditions. Across generations, our weavers have perfected intricate techniques of dyeing, spinning, weaving, printing, and embellishment — many of which remain remarkably relevant today. For us, a saree has never been simply a piece of clothing. It is the rhythm of a loom, the patience of an artisan, and the cultural memory of communities that have spent generations perfecting their craft.

A handwoven saree carries subtle variations that make it entirely unique. The texture, the weave, the way colour moves across the fabric, the motifs and character of the cloth — all of it reflects the human hands behind the loom. Unlike mass-produced textiles, traditional handloom weaving demands time, skill, precision, and an intimate understanding of yarn and loom. Every saree takes shape one movement of the loom at a time — and that is the beauty we bring to you.

Our relationship with handloom begins with the people who make it possible. We work with weaving communities, artisan clusters, and cooperatives across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and other important textile regions. We believe authentic handloom can only thrive when the people behind it are respected — and so our sourcing is built on long-term relationships, fair pricing, and a genuine appreciation of the time and skill traditional weaving demands.

Their understanding of yarn, dye, pattern, loom, texture, and regional technique is something that cannot simply be manufactured. It has to be learned, practised, passed down — and respected. When these connections are preserved, a saree becomes more than fashion. It becomes heritage.

We want you to understand what you are buying — what it is made from, where the tradition comes from, what makes the weave special, and why it deserves to be cherished. A well-made saree can travel through generations: worn by a daughter at her wedding, preserved by a mother, rediscovered by a granddaughter, and woven into a family’s story. That is the kind of fashion we believe in — not disposable, not anonymous, but thoughtfully made, culturally meaningful, and designed to be remembered.