Chamba Rumal is a pictorial craft that represents unique embroidery, which originated and flourished during 17th -18th centuries in Chamba Valley in the State of Himachal Pradesh. In fact Rumal is a Persian word which means a handkerchief. However, the embroidery work done on a hand spun khaddar or a fine muslin cloth which is in square format, is known as Chamba Rumal. The sizes vary from as small as handkerchief to Towels to as big as Bed Spread Sheets.
The colour of thread used in the Chamba Rumal varies and no Rumal is ever embroidered in a single colour. In the folk style, the colours tend to be bright and bold and include pink, lemon yellow, purple and green. The more sophisticated colour palette includes ochre, dark green, blue and paler shades.
Image credit: ibef.org
Generally, the ground fabric used in Chamba Rumal is hand-spun and hand –woven cotton (khaddar) or fine muslin (mal-ml) of off-white colour. Such off-white base of the fabric highlights the vibrant silken threads filled in the drawing made upon. However, for platter covers or other coverlets, red or blue coloured cloth has also been employed.
The figures as well as the floral patterns drawn on the Chamba rumals are filled in with the untwisted silk floss also known as pat. Apart from the figurative forms, a number of animal and bird motifs have also been frequently used in Chamba rumals. These designs and motifs were drawn by the Pahari painters themselves, whereas the folk designs, in which the figures bear small rounded faces like parrot beaks, seem to have been drawn on their own by the women embroiderers.
In the layout of the compositions of the chamba rumals , the central space is generally occupied by the figures of Radha-Krishna , Shiva – Parvati, Ganesha, Durga, Dasavatara of Vishnu and Nayak-Nayika. However, the Rasamandala, the round dance of Krishna with his gopis, is one of the most popular subjects seen invariably in the Chamba Rumals.
Shikar the hunting scenes depict a large variety of animals and flora and fauna besides hunters seated on galloping horses or musketeers chasing wild animals are shown carrying swords or guns or shooting arrows at boars or deer. Sometimes a confrontation with a leopard is also shown.
Chamba Rumals are embroidered with the technique of double satin stitches known as ‘do- rukha- tanka’ is carried forward and backward alternately and both sides of the cloth are stitched simultaneously, so that the space on both sides is filled up making the designs on both sides look equally effective and identical in content. Knot does not appear in the threads used in embroidery.
Besides unique Do-Rukha Tanka, the outline in black thread marked with Dandi tanka, the Stem Stitch which is also a unique characteristic. After filling the colourful threads in the figures and floral designs, these are finally enclosed with a fine line worked out in black thread, which apparently lends the powerful effect as seen in Pahari miniature painting.
The most common shape and size of Chamba rumal is square and oblong, round (circular) pieces are rare, which were used only for covering baskets (chhad and chhabdu) during marriage. For the embroidery work on cholis, caps or coverlets the coarse khaddar is used, whereas only finely woven muslin fabric is used for the Rumals.
GI Tag Registration Date : 09 September 2008
GI Tag Number : 79
Certificate Number : 84
Geographical Area : Himachal Pradesh
Special Cover Release Date : 06 February 2022
Cancellation : Chamba 176 310
Type : GI Tag Cover
Cover Identification Number : HP/01/2022
Cover has embossed images of Chamba Rumal and also a sample of the Chamba Rumal. QR code provided at the back side of cover.
Enlarged View of Illustration
Enlarged View of Cancellation
Back Side Scan
India post has also issued a postage stamp on Chamba Rumal. Details of the same are furnished below
Sheetlet - Embroideries of India - Chamba Rumal
Issued on 19 December 2019
Enlarged View of Postage Stamp
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