Tanishkha FashionsAari & maggam work · Nagercoil
Design reference - maroon silk bridal blouse, pearl and gold floral work covering the sleeve and shoulder, with a beaded tie at the open back.
Hand embroidery · Kanyakumari district

The blouse everyone photographs, worked by hand

ஆரி வேலை · மணப்பெண் பிளவுஸ்

Hand aari and maggam embroidery for bridal blouses, sarees and everyday wear, worked from Nagercoil for customers across Kanyakumari district. Every piece is stitched by hand to the design and measurements you choose.

Send a design on WhatsAppBrowse the designs

Nagercoil · Kanyakumari district

The work

What we take on

Aari work is hand embroidery pulled through stretched fabric with a hooked needle - the same craft many people call maggam work. It is slower than a machine, and it does not look the same. The thread sits differently, the stones are set rather than glued, and it survives being worn and washed.

Step by step

How an order works

Nothing here needs a shop visit to begin. Most orders start and finish on WhatsApp.

  1. 01

    Send the design

    A photograph on WhatsApp is enough - something you have seen, saved from Instagram, or drawn. Tell us the date you need it by.

  2. 02

    Get a straight answer

    What it will take, what it will cost, and whether it can be done in the time you have. If it cannot, you will be told that rather than strung along.

  3. 03

    Measurements or a blouse that fits

    Come and be measured, or send an old blouse that fits you well. Bring your own material - most customers do, and it costs less.

  4. 04

    The work itself

    The design is traced, the fabric stretched on a frame, and every bead, stone and length of zari worked in by hand. Two to three weeks for bridal work.

  5. 05

    Collected or delivered

    Ready to collect in Nagercoil, or sent to you anywhere in Kanyakumari district.

Cost

What makes one piece cost more than another

Every piece is quoted on its own, because no two designs take the same amount of work. These are what move the price.

Ask what yours would cost
  • How dense the work is. A design that covers a sleeve takes many times longer than a border.
  • Stones and beads, or thread alone. Stone work is slower and the materials cost more.
  • How much of the blouse is covered. Front only, front and back, sleeves, or all of it.
  • The fabric. Some silks are slower to work and less forgiving of a mistake.
  • How soon you need it. A rushed date in wedding season is not always possible at any price.

Questions people ask

What is the difference between aari work and maggam work?
They are the same craft under two names. Aari is the word used in Tamil Nadu, maggam more in Andhra and Telangana. Both mean hand embroidery worked with a hooked needle on fabric stretched over a frame. If you have been searching for one and finding the other, you are in the right place.
How much does aari work cost?
Every piece is quoted on its own, because no two designs take the same number of hours. What moves the price is how dense the work is, whether it uses stones and beads or thread alone, how much of the blouse is covered, what the fabric is, and how soon you need it. Send a photograph of the design on WhatsApp and you will get a number rather than a range.
How long does bridal aari work take?
Usually two to three weeks, and longer for a heavy design. Lighter function and saree work is quicker. Book well before the wedding date - the weeks around a muhurtham season fill up early, and hand work cannot be hurried without it showing.
How far in advance should I book for a wedding?
Six weeks is comfortable. Four is workable for most designs. Under two weeks in the middle of a muhurtham season usually means either simplifying the design or being told honestly that it cannot be done - which is better than being told yes and finding out late.
Can I bring my own blouse material?
Yes, and most customers do. It is the usual arrangement and it costs less than having material sourced for you. If you would rather it was sourced, ask. If the blouse is being cut from a saree, bring the saree - where the border falls decides where the work should go.
Can you copy a design I have seen?
Send a photograph on WhatsApp - a screenshot from Instagram or Pinterest is completely normal - and you will get a straight answer on whether it can be done in the time and the budget you have. If the fabric or the timeline will not carry it, you will be told that rather than strung along.
Every question answered →
Guides

Before you decide

What it costs, how long it takes, and how to choose a design - answered properly rather than in a sentence.

All guides →
Areas covered

Where we work

Based in Nagercoil, taking work from across Kanyakumari district.

Every area covered →

Send the design and get a straight answer

A photograph of what you have in mind and the date you need it by is enough to quote from.

Ask on WhatsAppSend an enquiry instead
Send a photo of the designand get a straight answer on time and costAsk on WhatsApp