Chapter 1: Chikankari Peddled its Way to Lucknow

A craft, long ago, carved its path to a destination 2000 miles away from its place of origin and wove its elite tale in India. The story begins in a village in the district of Koh Mehr in Persia (currently known as Iran) where the textile craftsmen devised unique stitches on a piece of cotton cloth. Their motive was to make the summers breathable, so, they created beautiful and intricate perforations in the cloth for the air to sway in and sway out through it. 

The credit for bringing and popularising the craft goes to Nur Jahan, a Mughal queen, the wife of Jahangir. This step was taken by her around 450 years from now. Initially the crown descended on the old and grand Delhi to encourage the art, but later it shifted to Awadh (now Lucknow). The Nawabs were extremely ‘shaukeen’ and poetic people. They were known for their ‘adab’, ‘tehzeeb’, ‘khatirdari’ and grandeur. Chikankari was another embellishment for them, not only did it oscillate well with their aesthetics but also with their requirements to tackle the scorching heat. 

Despite the test of time, the bond between Awadh and chikankari continued to grow, so much so that they are now a part of each other’s identities. Today, Lucknow, which is the new name for Awadh, also owns a GI tag for its production. This means that while the craft can be sourced, it cannot be manufactured anywhere else in India. 

Once an adopted child is now our own! We are forever intertwined.