• share
• share
• share

Enchanting Embroideries: Everlasting beauty of needlework

Ranjani Govind

Lucknow's famous hand embroidery Chikankari has evolved with more decorative embellishments using metal threads for classic inclusions as zardosi,mukaish, kamdani, badla along with sequin, bead, and mirror work for gaining an affluent stature.

Ask Padmaja Sakhamuri, committee member of the Crafts Council of Karnataka and Convenor of the annual flagship textile initiative Vastrabharana (where handloom weavers, artisans of embroidery, textile dyeing and jewellery converge) about one of the oldest embroideries surviving the onslaught of contemporary fashion in haute couture, and she says, “Some things can never go out of style, and Chikankari of Lucknow is one of them.

With a host of additional embellishments brought into its compositional elegance, the embroidery has attained more elaboration and evolved with the times, without losing its class.

Every year Chikankari seems to gain dreamlike interpretations, and the modifications are mind-boggling with metal Zardosi and Mukaish work integrated for gaining ornamentation.

It could be on saris, blouses, lehengas, ghagra-choli or western wear and Indian dresses.

Artisans from Chowk Bazaar in Lucknow say it takes three months to work on a sari that’s part of a trousseau, and six months on a dressy, wedding lehenga.”

For posterity…

While every art for m evolves and resurfaces with fresher visual impact, one cannot help seeing them move away from the originals.

And Chikankari is no exception. Arts revival boutique Madhurya in south Bangalore that works for the revival of weaves and embroideries sources these Lucknowi saris and dress materials “keeping track of all the seasonal variations that Chikankari-Zardosi-Mukaish work goes through.”

Says Bharathy Harish, head of Madhurya who has been following the subtleties, “Chikankari has evolved to include a multitude of stitch-strains to make it look prolific, but the downside may be the decrease of stitches to make it easier, faster and more affordable.

This helps speed up the process, compromising on the craft’s authenticity. As a revival boutique we often meet artisans personally, discuss designs and get time-tested, authentic work customized too on saris, dupattas and lehengas. What we aim to do is have the legacy retained for posterity’s sake.”

Bharathy goes on to explain that the delicate embroidery done at several clusters in Lucknow have men doing the ‘chapai’ or impressions of the design and the women work on the fabrics to etch the designs to life.

Different needlework techniques make it exceptionally versatile. Spreading out saris with add-on rich sections of work called Zardosi, and some more with the interplay of Chikankari and Mukaish creating a sublime and ethereal effect, she says, “The predominant whites and the metallic hues of silver and gold from the delicate Mukaish needlework are like the clouds with a silver lining in textile.”

Zardosi (from the Persian word ‘Zar’ meaning gold and ‘dozi’ meaning embroidery) refers to the process of using metallicbound threads to sew embellishment on to various fabrics.

During dynastic rule, Zardosi used silk threads wrapped in real gold and silver wires along with sequins, beads, precious stones and pearls to decorate satin, velvet and silk fabrics.

Zardosi has branched out to a huge body of fine-line variants including badla, kasab, sitara, mukaish, tilla, salma, dabka, kora, nakshi, chakri and Gijai.

All in the detailing …

Chikankari is the embroidery work done with white cotton thread on fine white cotton material.

Also termed as ‘shadow work, the word 'Chikan' is said to be derived from the Persian word 'Chikeen' (needlework) traditionally done on mulmul- fine muslin cotton.

As sourcing mulmul became a challenge over the years, Chikankari started emerging on cotton, silk, chiffon, crepe, wool and organdy using contrast toned threads to highlight the embroidery.

The embroidered patterns include flower designs, bel-buta and paisley in different stitches.

Chikankari is said to have originated when a traveller taught the Chikan embroidery to a peasant in return for water to drink!

The most popular origin story goes that Noor Jahan, Mughal empress and wife of Jahangir, introduced Chikankari to India.

Salim K, fourth generation karigar of Chikankari who works from his home from Lucknow speaking in chaste Urdu recalled his grandfather saying that the glorious art has been in vogue from the time humans craved to scale new heights in sartorial taste.

Ask him about his qualifications, and he says, “I