All the warp threads have to be threaded through the heald eyelet and its gap in the reed prior to weaving. The heald is the part of the loom that is used to move the warp threads up and down. The reed is like a comb and its purpose is to control the separation of the warp threads. The open space between each wire of the reed is called dent. A warp end is passed through a dent with the help of the hook, after it passes through the heald. This process is called denting.
The weavers of the Benaras generally use old pit loom for weaving sarees, brocades and other products. On these conventional looms, the warp beam is mounted at the back and the warp yarns are conveyed to a cylinder called the cloth roll, which is at the front of the loom and on which the fabric is rolled as it is constructed. Supported on the frame between these two cylinders (warp beam and cloth beam), the warp yarns are ready to be interlaced by the filling yarns that run in the width of the cloth, thus producing the woven fabric, corresponding to the punched cards.
The saree’s last but not the least component is the zari. This is the golden thread, the determining element that gives sarees their luxurious feel. To make zari, a pure silver ingot is melted and then machined to create a silver thread about 13 microns in diameter. The thread is then flattened so as to roll it around a silk thread that has been previously dyed. This thread is then electroplated with gold.