- Chikankari, a form of Chikan, is the source of income for thousands of families
(Report by Avinash Dixit from Lucknow)
Famous for its elegance and refinement, in Lucknow, Chikan is not only eaten but also worn with great fondness. It may sound shocking, but it is completely true. The special thing is that not only are women getting empowered by this, but it is also the main source of livelihood for thousands of families.
Remember that here we are not talking about the different types of Chikan for non-vegetarian lovers, but about Lucknow’s world-famous embroidery art, Lucknowi Chikan. The handwork done with various stitches on fine cloth with needle and thread is called Lucknow’s Chikan art. Somit Rastogi of Lucknow Chowk Bazaar, who has been associated with the business of Chikankari clothes for four generations, said that embroidery is done with fine needle and raw cotton threads. These threads are procured from factories in Chennai, Kerala and other districts of the south. It has 32 types of stitches and nets. For example, Murri, Punda, Kanta, Tepchi, Pankhuri, Laung, Janjira, Mundraji, Jaali, Sidor Jaali, Bulbul Chashm Jaali are the main ones. The most difficult stitch among these is Murri, which is stitched with a fine needle using raw yarn.
According to Rastogi, the cloth on which Chikankari is done is first inscribed with Buta, which means that the desired pattern of creepers and plants is engraved on a wooden board and these patterns are printed on the cloth with raw colours.
After doing Chikankari on the basis of these patterns, it is washed by some special washer men, due to which the raw colour is completely washed off.
