Chikan (embroidery)

[1] According to Laila Tyabji, chikankari stems from the white-on-white embroidery of Shiraz came to India as part of a culture of Persian nobles at the Mughal court.

The most popular origin story credits Noor Jahan, Mughal empress and wife of Jahangir, for introducing chikankari to India.

Chikankari is a delicate and artfully done hand embroidery on a variety of textile fabrics like cotton, chanderi, muslin, georgette, viscose, silk, organza, net, etc.

[10] The 1986 Indian film Anjuman directed by Muzaffar Ali and starring Shabana Azmi and Farooque Shaikh is set in Lucknow and deals with issues of chikan workers.

[11] In fact, Farooque Shaikh was so charmed by this fabric and style that he wore chikan all his life and came to be identified as a brand ambassador of sorts of Lakhnavi chikankari.