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{{short description|Handkerchief, an embroidered handicraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox geographical indication
| name = Chamba Rumal
| image = Chamba Rumal .jpg
| image_size = 250px
| alt =
| caption = Chamba Rumal (handkerchief)
| alternative names = Chamba handkerchief
| description = Handicraft
| type = Embroidery
| area = Himachal Pradesh
| country = India
| registered = March 2010
| material = Silk and cotton ([[muslin]] or mulmul)
| official website =
}}

The '''Chamba Rumal''' or '''Chamba handkerchief''' is an embroidered handicraft that was once promoted under the patronage of the former rulers of [[Chamba State|Chamba kingdom]]. It is a common item of gift during marriages with detailed patterns in bright and pleasing color schemes.<ref name= Chauhan>{{Cite news|last= Chauhan|first= Pratibha |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070110/himplus1.htm#2|title=Good tidings for Larji Lake:Pride of Chamba|date= 10 January 2007 |access-date=8 February 2016|newspaper=Tribune India}}</ref><ref name= Dasgupta >{{Cite news|last= Dasgupta |first= Reshmi R |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/unfurling-a-new-life-for-chamba-rumals/articleshow/5761062.cms|title=Unfurling a new life for Chamba rumals|date=5 April 2010|access-date=8 February 2016|newspaper=Economic Times}}</ref>{{Sfn|Bhāratī|2001|p=175}}

This product has been registered for protection under the Geographical indication of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement. On 22 January 2007, it was listed as "Chamba Rumal" under the GI Act 1999 of the Government of India with registration confirmed by the Controller General of Patents Designs and Trademarks under Classes 24 as Textile and Textile Goods, vide application number 79.<ref name=Journal>{{cite web|url=http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/journal/29.pdf|format=PDF|title=Geographical Indications Journal No.29|date=19 March 2009|access-date=7 February 2016|publisher=Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003703/http://ipindia.nic.in/girindia/journal/29.pdf|archive-date=4 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Artist, maker unknown, India - Ceremonial Cover (Chamba Rumal) - Google Art Project.jpg|right|thumb|Chamba Rumal, a ceremonial cover]]
[[File:Chamba Rumal with the Mahavidyas LACMA M.80.4.jpg|right|thumb|Chamba Rumal]]
[[File:Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Nari Shakti Puruskar for the year 2018 to Ms. Lalita Vakil H2019030865837.jpg|thumb|Ram Nath Kovind presenting the [[Nari Shakti Puruskar]] to Chama Rumal embroiderer Lalita Vakil]]
Earliest reported form of this rumal is the one made by [[Bebe Nanaki]], sister of [[Guru Nanak]] in the 16th century, which is now preserved in the Gurudwara at [[Hoshiarpur]]. The Victoria Albert Museum, London has a rumal which was gifted to the [[British raj|British]] in 1883 by Raja Gopal Singh and it has an embroidered scene of the [[Kurukshetra War]] of the epic [[Mahabharta]].<ref name= Chauhan/> However, from the 17th century the women of the erstwhile princely state of Chamba (now part of Himachal Pradesh), including members of the royal family, indulged in embroidery of the rumals or handkerchiefs as a part of a marriage gifts or dowry to their daughters.{{Sfn|Ahluwalia|1998|p=166}}<ref name= Dasgupta/>

The handkerchiefs were made in geometrical shapes of square and rectangle using very fine hand made silk which was obtained from the [[Punjab]] or [[muslin]] cloth, a product of [[Bengal]]. Women created highly ornamental patterns using untwined thread made of silk produced in [[Sialkot]] (in Pakistan), [[Amritsar]] and [[Ludhiana]]. The embroidery technique adopted, called the ''dohara tanka'' or double satin stitch, created distinct identical patterns on both faces of the fabric, which were attractive when viewed even from distance of 10 ft and more. The ''dohara tanka'' method is a heritage of [[Kashmir]], which was adopted in [[Basohli]] and [[Chamba State|Chamba]], but was improved upon by adopting themes from the special [[Mughal painting|Mughal art]] of [[Pahari painting|Chamba miniature paintings]]; this art form flourished during the 18th and 19th centuries. Following the downfall of the [[Mughal empire]] many expert artists of this craft migrated to the hill region of [[Himachal Pradesh]]. Raja [[Umed Singh]] of Chamba (1748–68) patronized the artists. These artists drew the outlines of the design on the fabric to be embroidered using fine charcoal and also suggested suitable colours to be adopted on the mythological themes of [[Krishna]]'s [[raas-leela]] of the epic [[Mahabharata]], and themes from [[Ramayana]] or scenes of marriage and game hunting to be embroidered; themes also included events from [[Gita Govinda]], [[Bhagvat purana]] or only [[Radha-Krishna]] and [[Shiva]]-[[Parvati]]. Inspiration was also provided from the frescoes done in the Rang Mahal of Chamba.<ref name= Dasgupta/> The women then executed the embroidery. In early 19th century, when Maharaja [[Ranjit Singh]] ruled over the [[Punjab States Agency|Punjab Hill States]], [[Sikh]] style of painting also influenced the Chamba Rumal.{{Sfn|Ahluwalia|1998|p=166}}

Following [[Independence Day (India)|Indian Independence]], this art work lost its royal patronage, and quality deteriorated due to commercialization by making many cheaper varieties such as table cloths, cushion covers, clothing, and even various machine made items to compete in the market with cheaper similar work from other regions.<ref name= Dasgupta/>

To revive this art work, in the later part of 1970s, at the initiative of [[Usha Bhagat]] (a friend of [[Indira Gandhi]]), the DCC located the original designs of this art work from museums and collections, and women artists were then trained in this art work. As a result 16 designs have been recreated and quality restored.<ref name= Dasgupta/>

[[Lalita Vakil]] was awarded the [[Nari Shakti Puraskar]] award for her work in helping to revive the art by organising courses.<ref>{{Cite web|date=March 2019|title=Nari Shakti Puraskar citations|url=https://wcd.nic.in/sites/default/files/Nari%20Shakti%20Puraskar%20-%20Citation%20%28Final%20-%2009.03.2019%29-Part%202.pdf|access-date=23 August 2021}}</ref> The "2018" award was made in the Presidential Palace by the President of India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in/gallery|title=Nari Shakti Puraskar - Gallery|website=narishaktipuraskar.wcd.gov.in|access-date=2020-06-07}}</ref>

==Process==
Known as a "needle wonder" Chamba Rumal is now made in square and rectangular shapes. The materials used still consist of muslin, malmal, [[khaddar]] (a coarse fabric), fine charcoal or brush, and silk threads without knots. Using a double satin stitch for the embroidery, both faces of the cloth are concurrently stitched by a forward and backward technique to maintain uniformity of design on both faces of the rumal. After completing the embroidery, the fabric is stitched with a border of about 2 to 4 inches on all sides.{{Sfn|Bhāratī|2001|p=175}}

==See also==
* [[Khadi]]
* [[Khādī Development and Village Industries Commission]] ([[Khadi Gramodyog]])

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book|last= Ahluwalia|first=Manjit Singh| title=Social, Cultural, and Economic History of Himachal Pradesh|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tG0fnF0VRk0C&pg=PA166|year=1998|publisher=Indus Publishing|isbn=978-81-7387-089-7}}
*{{cite book|last= Bhāratī |first=Ke. Āra |title=Chamba Himalaya: Amazing Land, Unique Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VO9cP6LYR8wC&pg=PA175|year=2001|publisher=Indus Publishing|isbn=978-81-7387-125-2}}

[[Category:Textile arts of India]]
[[Category:Culture of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Economy of Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Embroidery in India]]
[[Category:Geographical indications in Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Chamba district]]

Chamba Rumal - Revision history

imported>MPGuy2824 at 04:00, 23 August 2021