Lucknow Times’ (advertorial edition of Times of India newspaper) 19th Anniversary edition (Thu.25 Sep.’14)

I re-post today Lucknow Times’ (advertorial edition of Times of India newspaper) 19th Anniversary edition (Thu.25 Sep.’14)which carried article on Kings of Chikan-kari – Abu Jani & Sandeep Khosla for the benefit of my followers residing out of Lucknow.
Abu & Sandeep started their journey of Chikan-kari magic in 1993, which may have become very easy for us nowadays due to the efforts of people like them, but was really a very hectic task for them to pursue and assure the artisans to embroider on pure fabrics like delicate cotton mul, silks, chiffons and organza.
They share that when they were opened the doors by a printer in Chowk area to the wooden blocks which were old and largely unused (wooden blocks, as shown in the pictures below, are used in printing temporary designs on a fabric to be embroidered), they felt excited like small boys who were given the keys of a toys shop.
“We must honour & reward a skill if we want to keep it alive for future generations.”Their creation of a sense of respect and good remuneration to the artisans filled them with a sense of achievement as pieces began taking final shape, they didn’t feel like labour anymore. They understood that they were
artists capable of creating work of art.
Rest is history as we all know it. Their pieces are worn as couture. It is because of thier labor that a bride aspires to wear a Chikan Lehnga at her wedding, Chikan is now not merely like a kurta to office. After all these years they still are enthustiastic to take Chikan much further and make it as renowned as French lace in every corner of the world.

WOODEN BLOCKS

WOODEN BLOCKS BEING SOAKED IN TEMPORARY INK

WOODEN BLOCKS SOAKED IN TEMPORARY INK BEING PRINTED ON FABRIC

PRINTED FABRIC IS NOW READY FOR EMBROIDERY

FINE JAALI WORK BEING ADDED TO PRINTED AND EMBROIDERED CLOTH

All images have been sourced through the internet

Difference Between – Lacha / Lehnga & Sharara / Garara

Dear Friends i wish to share a piece of information that i received from a seeker.

She came to our store inquiring about Sharara. i had no clue. As a good salesman i tried to prove uselessly that a Lehnga was a Sharara, but this could not move her. It was coming on my face that i was lying to her because when you don’t have that information and you are striking in the dark it shows on your face that you yourself are not 100%.

Again, as a good salesman, i told her if she gets what she wanted, she will show it to me. Its a learning from your mistake that my master had conveyed me when i was new in this trade.

She did not get a Chikan Sharara in the market but the information she got was from a store selling ethnic bridal stuff for women. She drew it on paper and taught me the difference. Later we sold her an unstitched Lehnga piece which she could make to a Sharara.

For the information of my followers i searched the internet for the pics, and there are so many.

The sharara and the gharara are lower garments that are like flared pants. It was a fashion of 18th and 19th century in undivided India, particularly Northern India. Some of these dresses can be seen in block buster Bollywood movies of 1960s, 1970s & 1980s that had a North Indian milieu. Now they seem to be part of contemporary wedding ensembles in mainly the Muslim community.

The sharara was the bifurcated version that fell straight and looked liked a skirt

while the gharara was fitted till somewhere above the knee (or has a band sort of thing) and then flared

Now about Lehngas & Lachas

A lehenga is paired with a choli which is supposed to be a small blouse like thing which reveals the stomach & the back,

whereas, a lacha has got a relatively longer blouse which not only covers the entire stomach & back

but is also sometimes a little below the hips, as can be seen in its new avtaar, melange`.

All images have been sourced through the internet