Chamba Rumal (handkerchief) is an embroidered piece of clothing that was a common gift item in weddings in old times in the Chamba Kingdom. A Chamba Rumal is an embroidered handkerchief. It can be rectangular or square in shape. In older times high-quality fabrics were used to make this handkerchief as it was a gift time.
The materials that were used were muslin (a very soft material), malmal (also known for its softness), and khaddar (khadi). Silk and satin threads were used to embroider the fabric. The fabric is embroidered in a way that it looks similar from both sides. The border of the handkerchief is embroidered as well it gives it a more formed look. Two to four inches of all sides are embroidered.
The scenes that are embroidered are mostly from Ramayana and Mahabharata. Embroidery of Krishna such as eloping with Rukmani or romancing with Radha can also be seen. Other deities and mythological stories are embroidered on the rumal as well.
Origin of Chamba Handkerchief
The name of Chamba handkerchief is derived from a hill station in Himachal Pradesh known as Chamba. It is believed that this art was done in this hill area for centuries before it spread to other parts of Himachal.
The first evidence of Chamba rumal is from the 16th century when Bebe Nanki sister of Guru Nanak embroidered a rumal for her brother. The handkerchief is now preserved in the Hoshiarpur Shrine of Punjab. The other example is when Raja Gopal Singh presented a Chamba rumal to the British in 1883 on his visit. This handkerchief was embroidered with a scene from Mahabharata.
In the 17th century, royal women used to practice Chamba rumal art. It was a very important piece of clothing and was given as a gift during weddings and other important functions. Women also practiced this art at leisure to pass their time.
With the popularity of this art, it became popular between non-royals as well and artisans of town started performing this art as well. They also started to gift it during weddings as a symbol of goodwill.
Himachal Pradesh is famous for its food, hills, and architecture but very few know about its handicraft and artwork. Along with Chamba rumal miniature pahadi paintings are also something very attractive to look at. The Chamba rumal is an outcome of an art movement in Himachal Pradesh where artists combined miniature painting art with embroidery.
Preserved Collections
- Victoria & Albert Museum, London (U.K.)
- Crafts Museum, New Delhi (India)
- Bhuri Singh Museum, Chamba (India)
- Government Museum, Shimla (India)
- National Museum (India)
- Indian Museum, Kolkata (India)