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Lucknow Chikankari Craft, a GI tagged handicrafts product of Uttar Pradesh

Photo: CraftArtisansofIndia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Handicrafts · Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow Chikankari Craft

GI Registered Uttar Pradesh Handicrafts
GI numberGI-2
Typical price₹1,500 - ₹25,000
Verified cooperativesSEWA Lucknow
UP State Handloom Corporation
StateUttar Pradesh

About Lucknow Chikankari Craft

Lucknow Chikankari is white-thread embroidery worked by hand on fine cotton, muslin, georgette and, in modern lines, silk and chiffon. Its hallmark is restraint: delicate floral and paisley motifs stitched tone-on-tone so the pattern reads as texture rather than colour. The craft is centred on Lucknow and the surrounding Awadh towns, where a large community of home-based women embroiderers supplies workshops and boutiques. A single kurta often passes through several artisans, each responsible for one stage.

Heritage and place

Chikankari grew up in the courts of Awadh, where Nawabi patronage rewarded fine needlework. Popular tradition links its arrival to Mughal taste in the seventeenth century and often names Empress Nur Jahan. When court patronage faded, the craft survived as a women's cottage industry. Today it is one of Uttar Pradesh's best-known handicrafts, and the GI tag helps separate embroidery done in the Lucknow tradition from machine-made lookalikes sold nationwide.

How it is made

The design is first stamped on the cloth with wooden blocks dipped in washable dye. Embroiderers then work named stitches such as tepchi, bakhiya (shadow work stitched on the reverse), murri, phanda and jali, which parts the threads to make lace-like openings. The garment is finally washed to remove the printed guide so only white thread remains, then starched and pressed. Fine work on soft fabric takes weeks, which explains the wide price spread.

Registry record

Lucknow Chikankari Craft is listed in this catalogue as GI-2, a Geographical Indication tagged product of Uttar Pradesh in the handicrafts category. The name is legally protected: only producers within the notified region may sell under it. Confirm the entry in the official GI Journal before relying on it commercially.

◈ How to spot a fake Lucknow Chikankari Craft

What to check

Turn the garment inside out. Genuine shadow work shows neat, closely packed thread on the reverse, while machine chikan looks uniform and often has loose ends and a stiff backing. Stitch variety and density matter more than the size of the motif. Buy from registered cooperatives or established Lucknow emporia, ask which stitches were used, and expect truly hand-embroidered pieces to cost far more than the machine kurtas that borrow the name.

  • Look for slight variations in hand-stitched knot sizing (Murri, Phanda). Machine copies are completely uniform and lack thread-tension irregularities.

Price to expect

Genuine Lucknow Chikankari Craft typically sells in the range of ₹1,500 - ₹25,000. Prices far below that range are a common sign of an imitation.

Where to buy

Look for authorised sellers such as SEWA Lucknow, UP State Handloom Corporation, or government emporia and cooperatives in Uttar Pradesh.

Catalogue record

Catalogue record: GI-2 · Uttar Pradesh · reviewed

Frequently asked questions

What is the GI registration number of Lucknow Chikankari Craft?

This catalogue lists Lucknow Chikankari Craft as GI-2. Registration numbers should be confirmed against the official GI Journal before commercial use.

Where is Lucknow Chikankari Craft made?

Lucknow Chikankari Craft is produced in Uttar Pradesh, in the handicrafts category of this catalogue.

Can Lucknow Chikankari Craft legally be made outside Uttar Pradesh?

No. GI protection means only producers within the notified region of Uttar Pradesh may legally sell goods under the name “Lucknow Chikankari Craft”.

What does genuine Lucknow Chikankari Craft cost?

Genuine Lucknow Chikankari Craft typically sells in the range of ₹1,500 - ₹25,000. Prices far below this range are a common sign of an imitation.

How can I spot a fake Lucknow Chikankari Craft?

Look for slight variations in hand-stitched knot sizing (Murri, Phanda). Machine copies are completely uniform and lack thread-tension irregularities.

Where should I buy genuine Lucknow Chikankari Craft?

Look for authorised sellers such as SEWA Lucknow, UP State Handloom Corporation, or government emporia and cooperatives in Uttar Pradesh.