The traditional occupation of Kanchipuram is silk sarees and agriculture. An estimated 5000 families is still involved in weaving silk sarees. There are 25 silk & cotton yarn industries, 60 dyeing units, 50 rice mills and 42 other industries within the Kancheepuram municipal limits.
Legend has it that the Kanchi weavers are descendants of Sage Markanda, the celestial weaver for Gods. While cotton is the favourite for Hindu deity Shiva, silk is favoured by Vishnu. The existence of all the silk weavers around Vishnu Kanchi, most of the Vishnu temples are located in Kancheepuram. Historically, the Chola king, Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014 CE) invited the weavers to migrate to Kanchi. The craft picked up with the mass migration during the Vijayanagara rule during the 15th century from Andhra Pradesh. During the French siege of 1757 CE, the city was burnt with the art, but the art reemerged in the late 18th century. Though the industry is worth 100cr, the weaving community is suffering because of poor marketing techniques and large duplicate market player. In 2005, 'Kanchipuram Silk Sarees' not just received the GI tag but became the first product in India to implement the security protocol, which includes jail and fine provisions for violators
