 Silk weaving is the dominant industry in Varanasi . Muslims are the influential community in this industry with nearly half a million of them working as <unk> , <unk> , <unk> <unk> , and <unk> . Weaving is typically done within the household , and most <unk> are <unk> Ansari Muslims . Varanasi is known throughout India for its production of very fine silk and <unk> <unk> , <unk> with gold and silver thread work , which are often used for weddings and special occasions . The production of silk often uses bonded child labour , though perhaps not at a higher rate than elsewhere in India . The silk weaving industry has recently been threatened by the rise of power looms and computer @-@ generated designs and by competition from Chinese silk imports . 
