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Chikankari isn't one stitch — it's a whole vocabulary of them. Each traditional stitch has its own name, its own technique, and its own job in building a finished motif. Knowing a few of the most common ones will change how you look at every Chikankari garment you see.
Here are four of the foundational stitches behind the craft.
01 — The Outline
Bakhiya, the shadow-work stitch
Bakhiya is worked from the back of the fabric, so the thread shows through the front as a soft, shadowy outline — which is why it's often called “shadow work.” It's typically used to trace the outer edges of motifs like leaves and petals, giving a design its structure and depth without the stitching itself ever sitting directly on the visible surface.
This is also the stitch behind the “check the back of the fabric” test we covered in our guide to spotting authentic hand embroidery — genuine bakhiya work reads clearly on both sides of the cloth.
02 — The Grain Knot
Phanda, the millet-grain stitch
Phanda is a small, tightly wound knot stitch, named for its resemblance to a grain of millet. It's used to fill in fine details — the center of a flower, a scattering of small dots across a motif — adding texture that catches the light differently to the flat fabric around it.
03 — The Rice Knot
Murri, the rice-grain stitch
Murri is a close cousin of phanda — another small knot stitch, named for its resemblance to a grain of rice rather than millet. It's slightly more elongated than phanda, and the two are often used together within the same motif to build layered, textured detail.
Every knot is a decision,
made by hand, one at a time.
04 — The Net
Jaali, the lattice work
Jaali is the most technically demanding of the four. Rather than adding thread to the fabric, the embroiderer carefully separates and pulls the threads of the base cloth itself, opening up a fine, net-like lattice within a motif — often inside a petal or leaf shape outlined in bakhiya. Fine, even jaali work is one of the clearest signs of an experienced hand.
Quick Comparison
Phanda vs. Murri: what's the difference?
Both are small knot stitches used for texture and fill, and they're often confused for one another. The simplest way to tell them apart: phanda is named for a millet grain and tends to be rounder, while murri is named for a rice grain and sits slightly longer and more oval. In finished garments, they're frequently used side by side within the same motif.
Feathers by Priya
See the stitches for yourself
Every product page on our site lists the specific handwork used on that piece. Browse our Chikankari kurtas to see bakhiya, phanda, murri and jaali up close, or start with our guide on how to identify authentic hand embroidery.
Curious which fabric suits which season? Read next: Cotton vs Muslin vs Chanderi Chikankari (coming soon).
