vintimehra

A question that must have been running in many people’s mind that why social evils like honor killing persist in the society and especially in countries like India, where people talk about democracy and freedom of speech and expression. The most saddening fact about such offense is that it is supported by the heads of councils and communities.Honor killing is not a new concept as it is being practiced from long period of time. But in recent time the issue has glorified more. It is the murder of usually female member by one or more fellow mostly male family members, in which the perpetrators (and potentially the wider community) believe the victim to have brought dishonor upon the family, clan, or community.Meanwhile, there is a misconception among people that honor killings is confided to north in India including states like, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab. But this is a reality check time.The evil concept of honor killing is not only confided to north India but it is highly followed in south India as well. Although, initially a series of incidents were reported from the northern parts of India but now it has spread to south. A recent study revealed that the reports of such grubby incidents are coming from all over the country.This is a high time when serious steps should be taken by the government to tackle honor killings.

Chikan is a basic part of Indian culture since 655 AD believed to be rekindled by the wife of Mughal emperor Jahangir, Nur Jehan. It is a traditional embroidery style which took birth in city of Nawabs, Lucknow, India. The embroidery is one of the Lucknow’s most famous textile decoration styles. The word ‘chikan’ actually means embroidery. There have been many explanations behind the evolution of the term ‘Chikankari’. Some say that the word, ‘Chikankari’ is derived from a Persian word Chakin or Chakeen while others claim that it is a bent version of Chikeen or Siquin. The history behind the Indian Chikan work is very rich. It is said that in the 3rd century BC, a Greek traveler who was passing by a village in Lucknow stopped and requested a poor man for water. Delighted with his hospitality, the traveler taught him the art of Chikankari. But, some credits Noorjahan for introducing the art to India. Method of Chikankari embroidery work depends on the stitches used. There are three types of unique stitches that are employed in the art. Flat Stitches Embossed Stitches Jali Work Flat stitches are elusive and delicate which lie close to the surface of the fabric. It gives a unique textural appearance while Embossed stitches which are decorated from the fabric surface providing it a distinguishing granular texture. But, the Jali work is the famous of all as it gives striking delicate net effect. There are some basic steps involved in getting the finish product of the Indian Chikan work. The basic processes involved in the art are namely: cutting, stitching, printing, embroidery, washing and finishing. After completing the cutting and stitching process the printing work is carried out with wooden blocks dipped in dye. The next step is to design the embroidery which is generally done by women. The last step involves the washing and finishing, which takes almost 10 to 12 days including bleaching, acid treatment, stiffening and ironing. In recent time, the demand of the Chikankari work is increasing and has spread to cushion covers, pillow covers and so on. The market of the embroidery is flourishing, enriching not only in India but also in International market including U.S. and Europe. .