Chamba Rumal is an embroidery work originated during the eighteenth century in the
Chamba Valley. It is a kind of painting on cloth done with the help of needle and thread. The embroidery work is done by girls and women folk. A good model can be seen in the
Prince of Wales Museum,
Mumbai.
A drawing of the pattern is done by an artist before starting the embroidery work. The choice and distribution of different colors is also done by the artist. Various themes are depicted on the rumals. The central space is occupied by the figures of deities, especially of Lord Vishnu in multiple forms. Some pieces have writings on them. Trees, birds, and animals are also depicted.
A kind of thin hand spun cloth called mal-mal is used for the embroidery work. In some cases hand spun fine quality khaddar is used. The rumals are mainly used as a covering piece on the figures of deities.
