It is believed that Chikankari originated in *Chikan*, a village in the *Koh Mehr* District of Persia. The artisans of this art were employed by *Noor Jehan*, herself a connoisseur of this art form. The art flourished in the *Mughal harems in Delhi*. After the downfall of the Mughal empire, the progeny of these artisans migrated to *Lucknow* and settled there under the patronage of the *Awadh kings*. Today, it continues to flourish in and around Lucknow. This kind of hand embroidery is not done anywhere else in the world. *Chikankari* is an art form of hand embroidery with as many as *32 different types of stitches* done with mostly using cotton thread. However, in today’s times, even art silk threads are also widely being used to embroider intricately beautiful floral motifs.