Shahnisa
Handmade chikankari from Lucknow to you. Every piece carries the maker's hand in it.
Shop ShahnisaWhat Bakhiya Means
Bakhiya — "shadow work" — is chikankari's signature stitch, and its most difficult. It's worked entirely from the wrong side of the fabric, in a herringbone path the embroiderer can't see from the front. Held up to the light, the thread falls into a soft, translucent shadow on the right side — a technique unique to chikankari, found nowhere else in Indian embroidery.
Every Shahnisa piece is hand-embroidered by artisans in Lucknow, most of them women working from home — the same cottage-industry model that has sustained this craft for four centuries.
Stitches at Shahnisa
32 Stitches,
One Tradition
Shadow-work embroidery
Chikankari (Persian for "embroidery" or "delicate needlework") traces its roots to Persia.
Darbar
Noor Jahan
Brought to India by the Mughal empress Noor Jahan, wife of the emperor Jahangir, who was captivated by Persian shadow-work embroidery.
century
Awadh Darbar
Chikankari took root in the darbar (court) of Awadh. From Mughal darbar to Nawabi patronage, it gained fame at royal courts as art delicately embroidered by hand on fine cloth.
Lucknow
Thousands of artisans across Lucknow's villages dance their fingers on fabric to create woven art. Shahnisa brings hand-woven art, chikankari, to you.
New Arrivals
The bakhiya work on my kurta is unlike anything I've bought before — you can genuinely see the shadow effect they talk about. Fits true to size too.Ritika M. — Verified Buyer, Delhi
Ordered the Jaali Anarkali for a wedding and got so many compliments. The lattice work is incredibly fine — you can tell it's hand-done.Priya S. — Verified Buyer, Bengaluru
My go-to for gifting now. The packaging alone feels premium, and the murri work holds up beautifully after multiple washes.Anjali K. — Verified Buyer, Mumbai
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