Chamba Rumal - The Exquisite Embroidery of Himachal Pradesh

Chamba Rumal with Scenes of Gopis Adoring Krishna
Wikimedia Commons  

In the remote and inaccessible parts of Himachal Pradesh the people have developed an art of embroidery. It is a widely practised art in the state. Other handicrafts include the embroidered Chamba chappals or slippers, wooden-work, horse hair bangles, grass shoes and gompa style paintings.

The embroidery of Himachal can be divided into two categories, the Rumal or Handkerchief embroidery and the leather embroidery. 

The Chamba rumal has a long tradition of 400 years. This double stitch art of embroidery was brought from Kangra and Jammu and Kashmir in 1764 by Raj Singh, the king of the princely state of Chamba. Now this art form is extinct in Kangra and Jammu, but is still prevalent in Chamba. 

Further Reading- Arts and Crafts in Himachal Pradesh