Lucknow Chikankari White Embroidery Uttar Pradesh

Chikankari is the delicate white-on-white shadow embroidery of Lucknow, practiced predominantly by Muslim women artisans in Old Lucknow's mohallas. The craft uses 32 stitches including shadow work (bakhiya), stem stitch (taipchi), and satin stitch on muslin, cotton, or georgette. GI-tagged, Lucknow Chikankari employs over 2.5 lakh artisans and generates Rs 2,000 crore annually. Nawabi court patronage refined the craft in the 18th-19th centuries. Chikankari kurtis and sarees are major fashion exports.