With its light gossamer quality, chikan has evolved as a logical answer to keeping cool while also providing adornment and beauty. The name chikan seems to have been derived from the Persian word chikan or chikin or chikeen, which means a cloth wrought with needlework.
Most of the design motifs in chikankari are Mughal-based, also seen in the ornamentation at the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. As far as chikan work is concerned, the point of the needle darts back and forth, teasing the weave of the fine muslin, mull or cotton. Each stitch is diligently added till a perfect motif appears as part of a tracery of petals, birds or arabesques. The nawabs played an important role in preserving the chikan tradition.
krishna chikan 