Chikan Embroidery

The chikan work of Lucknow is perhaps one of the most popular embroidery works in India. The name 'Chikan' seems to have been derived from the Persian word, either 'Chikan', 'Chikin' or 'Chikeen'. It means a kind of cloth wrought with needle-work. Chikan work has very light, gossamer - like quality. It has a certain grace and elegance, which ensures that it never goes out of style. The beautiful wife of the Mughal Emperor - Jahangir, Princess Mehr-Un-Nissa or Noor-Jehan as she was fondly called is considered as the pioneer of this craft.

The white on white intricate work with its subdued beauty was an uncommon quality of those times that resulted in a tremendous impact. The textured surface made it resemble the likes of pure lace. What made chikankari so popular also was the feel of the soft fabrics that provided relief from the harsh Indian summers. The source of most design motifs in Chikankari is Mughal. These motifs can also be seen in the ornamentation of Mughal buildings like the Taj Mahal and the monuments of Fatehpur Sikri.

Fashion is picking up the art, which first made its presence felt in 1600's. Today after four centuries chikankari is still making waves with new types of embroideries, cuts and styles. For a heritage as ancient as it, it's like making a debut again, but with a slightly different, modified, modern touch.

The need to contemporize this age-old art has made the fashion doyens to focus on fresh new ideas and updating and presenting the art of the yore in a more sophisticated and modern form. Designers have taken to experimenting with fabric bases migrating from muls to voiles, organdies and even silk gauze. Colours too have undergone the trial and error procedures. It's no longer just white but a whole gamut of colours from creams, blues, pinks and even black. A wide range of articles from saris, kurtas and even table linen are making appearances in chikankari.

It is not only a craft, which has caught the romance of the night sky, but also an occupation, which keeps the kitchen fire burning in thousands of Old City homes. The artisans are mainly craftswomen who carry out the work behind the purdah (curtain) in their homes unlike half a century ago when master craftsmen imbedded muslin with pure gold threads.The finely embroidered muslin came to be closely identified with the Nawabi culture. The Chikankari tradition gradually filtered into the minds of common people and became a part of their daily life.