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The other craft of Chamba is its unique embroidery style.
The Chamba 'Rumal' or handkerchief about 2 to 6 feet in length is an
important part of a Chamba bride's trousseau. This handkerchief is also
known as 'Kashida'. The embroidery is same on both sides and the threads
used are silken and colorful. The cloth used, can be cotton or silk and is
usually white or cream in color. The designs are made in running stitches
with the space filled in so that the picture appears on both sides of the
handkerchief. The designs retain an almost painting kind of an appearance
and are an ideal gift from the region.
Origination Of An Exquisite Art
It
all began as a craft to cater to kings. And from there, the products of
this domestic craft spread to every household that could afford them - or
whose womenfolk could create them. At its simplest, the Chamba Rumal,
literally, handkerchief, was a piece of cloth used a small drape or scarf.
Steadily this embroidery began covering a range of items for daily use -
caps, hand fans, pillowcases and wall hangings.
Embroidered with a double satin stitch, "Dorukha", it displays
the pattern as a positive on both sides of the cloth. The earliest Chamba
Rumals date back to the mid 18th century - and have had an unbroken
lineage as it were, to the present day. The technique is similar to
Punjab's "Phulkari", which is not surprising given the trade and
cultural links. But the themes that unravel in the stitches are born of
the artistic traditions of the hills. The place of the fine brush strokes
that created the exquisite miniature paintings of Kangra is shared by the
needle and thread of chamba.
Themes
As in the paintings, the 'Krishna Lila', is a favoured theme. Hunting
expeditions, battle scenes, architecture, and a wealth of geometrical and
floral designs have been deftly transferred onto cloth.
The base cloth was originally mal-mal, finely woven cotton fabric, and
the embroidery was done with silken threads. The density of the embroidery
and the minuteness of the stitches determine the quality of the Rumal. The
traditional designs and sizes have adapted to present-day requirements-
napkins, tablecloths, wall decorations and bed sheets.