Question

History of chikankari in lucknow

Answer 1

Chikankari, which in literal sense means embroidery, is one of the most ancient textile decoration styles manufactured in the city of Nawabs, Lucknow (India). It is believed to have been introduced by Nur Jehan, mughal emperor Jahangir’s wife. This exquisite needlework gained popularity during the Mughal empire. Chikankari has found references as early as 3rd century BC. Megasthenes, a greek traveller has mentioned about this unique craft involving the use of flowered muslin by Indian.

In the current world, Lucknow has rapidly grown into an international market of its renowned Chikankari work.  The word “Chikan” derives its meaning from the Persian word “Chakin” also pronounced as “Chikeen”. This means, cloth wrought with needlework. The process creates delicate designer patterns on a fabric. This is done 100% by hand. The designer patterns are mostly inspired by Mughal architecture and the cloth used can be cotton, muslin, chiffon, georgette, organza etc. People use the terms like, lucknawi kurtis and lucknawi Chikan whenever they are referring to Chikankari dresses for men and women. The most striking and visual appeal of Chikankari work is it’s design. These dresses do not stick to your body and are extremely light in weight. They allow your skin to have fresh air even in extreme hot conditions.

In its hay days, the Chikankari was only associated with embroidery which was white on white, kno