What are the traditional stitches used in Lucknavi Chikankari ?

Lucknavi Chikankari has a rich vocabulary of traditional hand-embroidery stitches, with around 40 stitches documented in the craft tradition. These stitches vary in texture and technique and are combined to create the delicate floral, botanical and geometric patterns characteristic of Chikankari. The beauty of the craft lies not only in individual stitches but also in the way artisans combine different stitches to create depth, texture and movement.

Some of the Best-Known Chikankari Stitches

Bakhia
Often referred to as shadow work, Bakhia is one of the most recognisable Chikankari techniques. It creates a delicate, understated effect, particularly effective on fine or slightly translucent fabrics.

Tepchi
Tepchi is a fine running-stitch technique used to create lines, outlines and fills within motifs. The National Crafts Museum describes it as a slender line of relatively uniform stitches and notes its use particularly on lightweight mulmul.

Murri
Murri is a small, raised stitch that creates a tiny grain-like or rice-shaped texture. It is often used to add definition and delicate three-dimensional detail to floral motifs.

Phanda
Phanda is another small raised stitch used to create textured details within motifs. Murri and Phanda are often used together to give Chikankari its characteristic raised, tactile elements.

Jaali
Jaali is an open, mesh-like technique that creates a delicate trellis effect in the fabric. It is particularly admired for its fineness and requires considerable skill because the fabric threads are manipulated to create the open structure.

Hool
Hool is a delicate detached eyelet technique. The National Crafts Museum describes it as creating a tiny opening in the fabric, held in place with fine stitches around it.

Pechni and Kil
These are among the other traditional techniques found within the Chikankari repertoire and are often combined with raised and textured stitches to create intricate compositions. Contemporary collections at the National Crafts Museum document combinations such as murri-phanda, jaali, pechni and kil.

How Are Different Stitches Used Together?

A Chikankari motif is rarely dependent on just one stitch. An artisan may combine several stitches within a single floral or botanical motif, using different techniques to create outlines, filled areas, raised details, shadow effects and open spaces.

This combination of stitches is one of the reasons two pieces of Chikankari can look completely different even when they use similar motifs.

Paola Manfredi's Chikankari: A Lucknawi Tradition places particular emphasis on the remarkable variety of stitches and the time-honoured production process that contribute to Chikankari's distinctive finesse.

How Many Chikankari Stitches Are There?

The Government of India's handicrafts documentation records around 40 stitches associated with Chikankari, although not all are necessarily used with equal frequency today.

The traditional repertoire includes flat, raised, embossed and open-work techniques. Individual artisans and workshops may also use different combinations and regional terminology for particular stitches.

Why Do Chikankari Stitches Matter?

The stitches are much more than decorative techniques. They are part of the traditional knowledge and vocabulary of Lucknavi Chikankari.

The character of a piece depends on the combination of stitches, the skill of the artisan, the fineness of the thread, the fabric and the density of the embroidery. This is why finely worked Chikankari can have such extraordinary depth and delicacy despite being created with little more than needle, thread and fabric.

In Summary

Traditional Lucknavi Chikankari is defined by a diverse repertoire of hand-embroidered stitches, including Bakhia, Tepchi, Murri, Phanda, Jaali and Hool, among many others. Each stitch creates a different texture or visual effect, and skilled artisans combine them to transform simple fabric into intricate works of textile art.

At Manjari Chikankari, we value this vocabulary of traditional stitches as an essential part of the craft's heritage, while allowing artisans to use these techniques in contemporary designs and fabrics.