Chikankari Sarees - Whispering Threads

Chikankari Sarees — Lucknow's Whispering Threads of White on White

Chikankari — the exquisite white-on-white hand embroidery of Lucknow — is one of India's most refined and most poetic textile traditions, said to have been introduced to the Nawabs of Awadh by Nur Jahan, the empress consort of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, in the 17th century. The word "Chikan" is believed to derive from the Persian "chikeen" — a type of embroidered cloth — and the tradition has been nurtured for over 400 years in the lanes of Lucknow's old city, where master embroiderers (predominantly women working from home) create sarees of extraordinary delicacy using up to 32 different embroidery stitches on fine muslin, georgette, and cotton. The defining characteristic of traditional Chikankari is its restraint — white thread on white or pastel cloth, creating patterns that are visible only in the play of light and shadow, whispering rather than shouting their beauty. At Luxurion World, our Chikankari sarees are sourced directly from the master embroiderers of Lucknow, paying above-fair compensation to preserve this extraordinary GI-tagged tradition.

Chikankari's 32 Stitches

Tepchi — The basic running stitch, the foundation of all Chikankari work
Bakhiya — Shadow work stitch, creating patterns visible through the sheer fabric
Murri — Tiny raised knot stitch creating a textured, grain-like surface
Phanda — Tiny raised stitch smaller than Murri, used for delicate floral centres
Jali — Open lattice work creating a net-like pattern of extraordinary delicacy