Petite Gajra Toran — Maroon Banarasi
Just 2.75 inches wide. Banarasi fabric flowers. The gajra, reimagined.
What it is
A slim toran built for double doors. At 2.75 inches wide, it hangs between two doors without catching when either one swings open. Inspired by the real-flower gajra torans found in Indian homes, reinterpreted in deep maroon Banarasi flowers on a solid maroon silk base, glass beads, ghunghroos, and dull golden beads. Standard length is 37 inches. We make it in any custom size to match your door's exact width.
What's included
- 1 × Petite Gajra Toran in your chosen length, in maroon Banarasi on solid maroon silk
- Two silk loops, one on each corner, for hanging on door hooks or nails
Where & how to use it
- Double-door entrances — the original use case. The 2.75-inch width clears both doors.
- Pooja room doorways where a wide, heavy toran feels too much
- Bedroom and study doors that benefit from a slimmer treatment
- Modern minimalist homes that want one traditional element without the bulk
- Festivals — Diwali, Navratri, Janmashtami, Karva Chauth, Eid, wedding ceremonies
- Year-round décor — designed to live on your door, not just come out for occasions
- Gifting — housewarmings, weddings, gifting to NRIs
Dimensions
- Width: 2.75 inches (6.9 cm)
- Standard length: 37 inches (94 cm)
- Custom lengths: available — share your door measurement and we'll make it to fit
For scale: the width is about two finger-widths. Slim enough to disappear into the door frame, present enough to be the first thing guests notice.
Materials & why we picked them
Maroon Banarasi fabric flowers: Hand-layered and stitched. We chose Banarasi because the weave holds shape — the flowers stay structured for years instead of softening the way plain cotton would. The deep maroon catches light through the woven texture and the zari threading, creating dimension that a flat fabric never could.
Solid maroon silk base: A tonal pairing — the same colour as the flowers, but in a smooth, unstructured silk. The contrast here isn't between two colours but between two textures: the dense, raised Banarasi weave of the flowers sitting against the quiet expanse of silk behind. From across the room, the toran reads as a single deep maroon note. Up close, it reveals layers, depth, and craft.
Glass beads: for the catch of light. Honest note — these beads carry a silver element, and over many years they may gently darken with natural oxidation. Some buyers see this as patina; others polish them lightly. This is natural ageing, not a defect.
Ghunghroos (metal with gold coat): for the soft sound when the door moves — a quiet inheritance from the gajra tradition. Honest note — the gold coating may dull over time, especially in humid coastal homes. This is the nature of coated metal. The sound never fades.
Dull golden beads: the spacers and accent beads. These are fibre, not metal, which means they will not tarnish or change colour ever.
All assembly is hand-stitched. No glue, anywhere.
The craft
- 18 hours of focused work per standard-length toran
- 11 women involved in making one piece
- The Banarasi flowers are precision-cut on our in-house machine for clean, uniform petals. Everything after the cut — the layering, the stitching of every flower, every bead, every ghunghroo — is done entirely by hand
- We don't use glue guns. Anywhere.
How to hang it
The toran comes with a small silk loop stitched into each corner. Hang it on existing door-frame hooks, two small nails, or adhesive hooks rated for the toran's weight. The loops are stitched in firmly and can be used repeatedly.
The story
The gajra toran — strings of marigold and mogra hung at the entrance — is one of the oldest welcoming rituals in Indian homes. Beautiful for a day. Wilted by evening. We took that same spirit and gave it permanence: Banarasi flowers in deep maroon that won't fade, glass that catches the same light as fresh petals, and the soft ghunghroo sound that real flowers never had to begin with.
The maroon-on-maroon choice is deliberate. Most torans rely on contrasting colours to be noticed. This one doesn't. It sits in the deepest red of the Indian festive palette — the colour of weddings, of Diwali nights, of bridal silks and temple textiles — and lets that single colour carry the whole piece. The interest comes from texture, not contrast: the raised Banarasi flowers against the smooth silk behind them. One confident colour, played in two different weaves.
The 2.75-inch width is deliberate too. Most traditional torans are 4 to 6 inches wide — they're made for single doors. Modern Indian homes increasingly have double doors, and a wide toran fights them every time someone walks in. The petite version solves that without losing the ritual.
Care & longevity
- Dust gently with a soft brush or dry cloth
- Keep away from direct moisture and standing humidity
- For long-term storage: roll loosely and keep in a dry place — never fold sharply
- Avoid hanging outdoors or in monsoon-facing entrances without protection
- The ghunghroos may dull over years — natural ageing of coated metal, not damage
- The glass beads may darken slightly with time — natural patina from the silver element
- The Banarasi flowers and fibre golden beads will not fade
What to expect when it arrives
- Slight variations in flower placement and bead spacing — every pair of hands works a little differently
- No two torans are identical, even at the same length
- A soft chime from the ghunghroos when the door moves — this is the point, not a flaw
- Over years, expect gentle ageing on the metal and glass elements. The Banarasi fabric will outlast both.
What you will not get:
- Real flowers that wilt overnight
- A heavy obstructive toran that fights your doors
- Machine-perfect symmetry — assembly is by hand, not by factory
- Any glue residue, anywhere
Packaging
Your toran arrives carefully rolled in a fabric pouch with a thread closure, inside an outer protective shipping box. The pouch doubles as storage when the toran isn't on the door.
