Baluchari sarees got their name from the place of origin- Baluchar in Murshidabad. The Nawab of Bengal, Murshid Quli Khan, encouraged the weaving craft of Balucharis during the eighteenth century- resulting in the craftsmanship flourishing. Thus, the saree became a tradition, native to the village of Baluchar and extending to Dhaka. But after an unfortunate flood in the Bhagirathi river, the villages of Murshidabad faced a huge loss. As a result, the weavers of Baluchar travelled to 

the Bishnupur village in the Bankura district. The industry had again faced a significant decline during British rule due to financial and political setbacks; Presently, authentic Baluchari sarees are produced in Bishnupur and some regions of West Bengal. 

The pallus of Baluchari sarees is an intricate process. The motifs, also known as “pallavs”, are drawn on graph paper; the colouring and punching process is done with cards. These cards are sewn onto the fabric to keep the designs in place. The weavers work in grueling shifts for five to six days to complete a single Baluchari saree. 

The revival of Balucharis was led by artist Subho Thakur, who introduced techniques of jacquard weaving that made the making process more accessible and reduced the weaving time. However, the new era of Baluchari sarees still retained the original motifs inspired by mythology and epics.