Chikankari was bought to Lucknow by the Mughals and this art was introduced by Our Jahan the queen of the emperor Shah Jahan. The art form of this type of embroidery flourished since the 16th century under the patronage of the kings and the elites.
The references to Indian Chicken work are there since the third century BC. The word chicken comes from the Persian word Chikeen or Chikin which is a name for embroidered fabric.
Exploring Chikankari in Lucknow
The Lucknow Chowk is the perfect place to buy this type of embroidered fabric, there are many shops selling salwar kameez and Kurta made with Chikankarai. I paged to visit the chowk and ventured into a shop selling these beautiful clothes. It was called Aman Chicken and the owner showed be the exotic fabric and Laos told me how it’s as made and how intricate the embroidery was.
When visiting Lucknow, one must see how Chikankari works and how the fabrics are made. Till then enjoy the pictures of my visit.
Chikankari is a major industry in Lucknow. White thread is used to do the embroidery on fabrics like cotton, silk, Muslim, viscose and chanderi. Intricate patterns and effects are created with thread that brings the fabric to life. Even basic block printing is used to create block prints on fabric.
I got a full tutorial form the shopkeeper of Aman Chikankari and I enjoyed the experience immensely.
