Chikan, when translated it means embroidery, and it is a traditional textile decoration style from Lucknow. The technique of creating Chikan is known as Chikankari. There are about 36 different stitches used in this craft. It was traditionally done on muslin cloths, white thread on white fabric.
History: The Rise, Fall and Revival of Chikankari
Some references about the presence of Chikan can be found in records from about the 3rd century AD, in Chandragupta Maurya’s reign. There are mentions of flowered muslins used by Indians in the documents of Megasthenes. But the exact origin of this technique is still a mystery as many different stories claim to be the actual way how this craft came into existence.
One story is about a traveller, who was travelling through a village in Lucknow. He stopped at a peasant’s place and asked for water. He was very pleased by the hospitality of the peasant. So in return, he taught him the art of Chikan so he would never go hungry in life.
Another tale about the origin of this craft tells that the Mughals introduced this Persian craft in India. In the 17th century, during Jahangir’s reign, the craft flourished enormously. Noor Jahan, Jahangir’s consort, had a liking for the Chikankari work and was a talented embroiderer herself. Jahangir, too, was charmed by this craft and thus patronised it lavishly by setting up workshops to sharpen and perfect this craft. Keeping the hot and humid climate of the region in consideration mulmul and muslin were the fabrics mostly used for this embroidery.
Somewhere around the 18th and the 19th century, after the downfall of the Mughal empire, the Chikankari artisans spread all over India in search of places for establishing the craft again. Lucknow and Awadh became the main centres. Burhan-ul-Malk, the then Governor of Awadh, was a Persian nobleman and played a major role in restoring this craft’s former glory that is visible even today.
What is the Art and Process of Chikankari?
Lucknow Chikankari is mostly done by women. It involves pre and post-preparation stages with the embroidery stage having about 36 types of stitches that can be used.
The process of Chikankari involves three steps:
- Block Printing- In this process, the design that is to be embroidered is printed with the help of multiple wooden blocks. The designs are imprinted on the fabric with blue ink.
- Embroidery- The fabric is then fit in a small frame. The needlework is done on the fabric, part by part, by tracing along with the ink marks. The artisan chooses the type of stitch according to the size and the type of the motif or according to the speciality of the region.
- Wash- After the embroidery is completed, it is soaked and washed in water to remove the ink marks. Then, depending on the fabric, it is starched to obtain stiffness. This step might take about 10 to 12 days to complete.
How many Stitch Types are there in Chikankari?
There are about 36 types of stitches in Chikankari and they fall under three categories- flat stitches, embossed or raised stitches and the jaali work or the open trellis.
Flat stitches – These are subtle stitches and remain close to the fabric.
- Tepchi – They are the most common, easy and cheap stitch. They are the common running stitch and are done in parallel rows on the right side of the fabric. It is used to fill motifs, leaves, flowers and this kind of design is known as Ghaspatti. They are even used to form bel buttis all over the fabric and are very similar to the Jamdani and Kantha work.
- Pechni – This stitch is done on the right side of the fabric and with Tepchi in the base. The thread is entwined over the Tepchi work at regular intervals, shadowing the tepchi work, providing a lever spring effect.
- Pashni – In this, the first step is to outline the motif with Tepchi and then covered it with small vertical satin stitches.
- Bakhia – This is more like shadow work and is of two types, Ulta Bakhia and Sidhi Bakhia. Ulta Bakhia is done on the reverse side of sheer and transparent cloths underneath the motif. Sidhi Bakhia is done on the right side of the fabric and is a satin stitch where separate threads are crisscrossed without giving any shaded effect.
- Khatao – It is done along with cutwork.
- Gitti – This uses long satin stitches with the combination of buttonhole stitches to make a wheel-like motif.
- Jangira – A type of chain stitch which is used along with a line of thick tepchi or pechni.
Embossed stitches – These are bolder than the flat stitches and give a grainy texture or appearance.
- Murri – It is a very minute pear-shaped satin stitch done over the Tepchi stitches that are there.
- Pechni – This stitch is done on the right side of the fabric and with Tepchi in the base. The thread is entwined over the Tepchi work at regular intervals, shadowing the tepchi work, providing a lever spring effect.
- Phanda – This is a very laborious stitch. It is a shortened variation of the Murri stitch and involves spherical knots.
Jaali work – This is the speciality of Lucknow Chikankari as it gives a very delicate net effect.
These are done by pushing aside the warp and weft threads, creating minute openings in the cloth, giving it a delicate net effect. The shape of the openings and the stitch used distinguishes the different Jaalis.
Motifs
The most common motif that is seen in the Lucknow Chikankari is the creeper. Many floral motifs are also used in the entire body or the corners of the garment. Some of the commonly seen floral motifs are lotus, jasmine, rose, flowering stems, paisley, butis etc.
How to Maintain Chikan Fabrics or Sarees?
The Lucknow Chikankari fabrics should ideally be sent for dry cleaning. However, the choice of cleaning technique depends on the base fabric rather than the work done on it. If it is silk fabric, one must consider dry cleaning it, but if it is cotton, chiffon or georgette, one can clean them at home by hand washing.
What is the Current Scenario of Chikankari?
- Traditionally, the Chikan work was done on Muslin or Mulmul fabric as the base needs to be soft for doing hand stitching. Nowadays, many other fabrics such as silk, chiffon, georgette, Kota Doriya, net, voile, organza and many more are also used for this craft.
- A large variety of men’s and women’s apparel is adorned with this embroidery. Ranging from short and long kurtas, sarees, anarkalis, tunics, palazzo, pants, lehenga choli and much more. Along with garments, a wide variety of accessories are available in Chikankari as well. Products such as shoes, bags, belts, lampshades, table cloths, cushion covers, etc.
- The craft began to re-emerge only during the Industrial era, after its downfall during the British empire and the end of the Mughals and Nawabs.
- A major role was played by the Hindi movie industry as well as various small design enterprises in restoring the appreciation and respect that the Lucknow Chikankari always had.
- For a more opulent aesthetic, many big and small design houses add other embellishments such as Zardozi, crystals, Mukaish and many others to Chikan.
- Lucknow Chikankari is greatly demanded by Bollywood and Hollywood celebrities, the upper classes and the general urban masses.
Follow through the Wikipedia Page.