Day 15

A later start.

We drove west out of Lucknow to a village called Mohaan to see people working on traditional Chikan Kari (pronounced “chicken curry” ) embroidery. It is a small agricultural village which relies on seasonal crops such as mangoes. Along the way we passed through a pottery village.

First we visited a house where women were working on some linen garments designed by our tour leader Sunita.

The designs are stamped on to the made-up garment using a block-printing technique, and then embroidered by hand using traditional stitches.

Chikan Kari is also done on silk or cotton for saris.

We then visited a house where a man was hand-beading a sari. His daughter was helping. Apparently it is traditional for embroidery involving gold or silver thread to be done only by men who are Moslems.

Really beautiful fine work. It was being done on a polyester sari, which seems a bit of a waste.

They were working with the sari stretched on a large frame, seated on the floor and with very poor lighting. The beads are gathered on a very fine punch, and the thread is run along underneath. Apparently they earn about $60 for the completed sari, and it takes about 4 days to complete.

The village ladies then made us lunch, which was pakoras cooked over an open fire. We sat outside on the roof. Really fun and delicious.

We were a big sensation in the village. All the little kids came to get photos taken, and just to watch us.

It was a nice change also to see the animals in the village being so well looked after. They were being fed and watered rather than being allowed to wander around randomly, which is what you generally see here. We saw chickens, goats, water buffalo and dogs. Many of the animals had healthy looking babies. The goats were wearing clothes!

Apparently the money coming into the village from the embroidery work is really helping the economy. The kids all go to school, they eat well and new things are being built.

On the way back Lucknow, we stopped for tea at a beautiful hotel Clark’s Inn. Clearly a hangover from the Raj, it is a gorgeous space and a real contrast to where we had been in the morning.