The Enchanted World of Embroidered Handkerchiefs

For followers of Hinduism, with its polytheistic nature, spirituality has always been attributed to sources of mighty rivers, majestic inaccessible mountains, sacred groves in forests, and places that were isolated or difficult to access.


Mountains were particularly attractive to saintly people who went on pilgrimages into the heights, or stayed in caves for years on end, meditating and praying in search of enlightenment.

Today in the heart of Chamba there are small, charming temples scattered within where people routinely stop to pray in the early mornings or evenings.

Temple bells ringing periodically are a common sound and the stone and wood carved temples are reminders of an ancient past.

A portion of the Lakshmi Narain temple complex in which separate temples for a variety of deities are found.

Detail of the carving on the roof of a Shaivite temple cluster in Chamba.

'Hima' means snow and Himachal Pradesh means the snow-covered state. With every walk through the main street and market of Chamba, the snow-covered peaks remind one that the Himalayas are not far away.

Brightly painted red roofs are private residences or small hotels and guest houses for tourists, who come trekking or are on a religious pilgrimage visiting temples and other sacred spots.

Women riding a two-wheeler scooter and men minding a child near a pergola on the street are signs of Chamba’s changing times and absence of patriarchy.

Unfortunately, the sign saying Green Chamba, Clean Chamba does not itself live up to its message.

A tiny lane reveals an old style Chamba home built entirely of wood.

What was once the palace of Raja Bhuri Singh, a great promoter of the art of Chamba rumal embroidery, is now a museum named after him.

The Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College in Chamba has architectural and interior features of earlier times that were valuable and reflective of their heritage.

The stain glass skylights remain intact.

A cantilevered wooden balcony built to catch the sun on winter days is a typical architectural feature of Chamba.

In the heart of town, between the Medical College and the residential area in Chamba, an old temple complex built in the Nagari style common to North India, has been encroached upon to accommodate shops, roundabouts and spaces for citizens to relax.

Local crafts seen in the narrow lanes of the local bazaar include embossed and beaten brass and copper work, some wood craft and knitted garments.

A store announces on a small board that it sells Chamba shawls and rumals or kerchiefs.

The shawls would be handwoven and the rumals are squares with embroidery, done by women for over 400 years.

The first publicly displayed Chamba rumal is preserved in the Sikh shrine in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, as it is said to have been made by Bibi Nanaki in the 16th century. She was the sister of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion and first of the ten great Sikh gurus.

Chamba embroidery on a cloth used as a mantelpiece cover in craftswoman Lalita Vakil’s home.

Her many awards are proudly on display.

An old Chamba rumal has been carefully preserved in an embroiderer’s home to be replicated on order from discerning city clients.

A portion of a Chamba rumal depicts goddess Durga riding a tiger. In Hindu mythology all major deities have an animal or a bird as their special vehicle that becomes sacred.

The people of Himachal Pradesh love to dance, usually in a circular formation, at every festival or happy occasion.

In this Chamba rumal, dancers are embroidered in different poses, creating a sense of movement and celebration.

A shepherd couple, clearly nomads of Himachal Pradesh called gaddis, is depicted in embroidery as a stand-alone piece.

They typically carry a hookah, their meagre belongings on their backs, with one small goat alongside.

This is likely to be a stand-alone work as there are no more illustrations on the fabric.

A closer look at the Chamba rumal reveals the extraordinary texture and effect that is created with this local style of embroidery.

The beige floss silk threads have white flecks in them that look as if the surface is sparkling.

A sight common in many homes is young women embroidering rumals for an exhibition or a special order.

Collective work is done under the guidance and supervision of an NGO.

A small group of women work together to prepare Chamba rumals for an exhibition to be held by an NGO that has helped in its recent revival.

Read more about Chamba rumal embroidery here:

- Art merges into craft in Chamba
- The needle creates fine art in Chamba