Mukaish/Badla/Metallic Embroidery of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Mukaish (also known as Badla) is a popular embroidery style from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Like most other styles of embroidery, its patrons were the royals who were fascinated by the use of gold and silver threads. This form of embroidery entails twisting thin metallic threads to make patterns all over the fabric. There are two kinds of patterns that can be seen in Mukaish, Fardi Ka Kaam and Kamdani.

Fardi literally translates to “dots.” It is a relatively more well-known and well-liked pattern. In Kamdani, threading is made easier by connecting the wire to a small length of thread. These wires can be worked into a variety of patterns and motifs.

Mukeish work in itself is quite exclusive but is often seen accompanying Chikankari, another embroidery style native to Lucknow. The embroidery process is divided into three stages. The first stage is  Chapaayi during which the design is printed on the fabric using gum and indigo ink. This is followed by Takaayi where the metal is prepared into threads or wires thin enough to weave. Finally, the fabric is spread out flat on the ground over a blanket and rubbed thoroughly over with a glass bottle or cowrie shells to work out any lumps in the embroidery and burnish the metal to make it brighter and shinier. This is called Ghutaayi. 

Due to the cost of making Mukaish work, there are now only a handful of kaarigars who are adept at Mukaish work embroidery. Most of them are from the Muslim community and live as well as work in the narrow by lanes of an area called ‘Chowk’ in old Lucknow.