Lucknowi Chikankari: What Makes It Different from Other Embroidery

An Embroidery Tradition Over 200 Years Old

Chikankari began in Lucknow, India, sometime in the 17th or 18th century, and it remains one of the most delicate hand embroidery traditions in the world today. Unlike machine-made embellishment or heavier embroidery styles like zardozi, Chikankari is defined by its restraint: fine white or pastel thread worked in intricate patterns onto lightweight fabric, designed to look almost as beautiful from the inside of the garment as the outside.

What Actually Makes Chikankari Different

Three things set genuine Lucknowi Chikankari apart from other embroidery styles you'll find in ethnic wear:

1. It's entirely hand-done. Every motif is stitched by hand using a needle and thread, not a machine. A single Chikankari kurta can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to complete, depending on the density of the work.

2. The stitch vocabulary is unique. Chikankari uses over 30 traditional stitches, including bakhiya (shadow work that creates a subtle raised effect from the front), phanda and murri (tiny knot stitches used for flower centers), and jaali (delicate net-like cutwork). This is what gives Chikankari its signature textured, almost lace-like look.

3. It's built for lightweight fabric. Chikankari was traditionally done on fine cotton and muslin to suit Lucknow's hot climate, which is part of why it works so well for UAE weather too. Today it's also worked on modal, rayon, chanderi, and georgette, each giving the embroidery a slightly different drape and finish.

How to Spot Authentic Hand Chikankari

With demand for the look growing, machine-embroidered imitations are common. A few signs of the real thing: slight irregularities in stitch spacing (a hand isn't a machine), a raised or textured feel when you run a finger over the motif, and stitching that looks nearly as neat on the reverse side of the fabric as it does on the front.

Shop the Collection

At Alaya Fashion, every piece is hand-embroidered by artisans using these traditional techniques. Explore our Chikankari kurtas and kurta sets to see the craftsmanship up close, or browse by fabric — cotton, modal, mulmul — to find the drape that suits you best.