February 26, 2020
So it has been a process of unlearning and relearning that way
Another challenge we faced was to get the artists to use natural silk again. Similarly, a few visitors thought they had come to the wrong gallery because these works look like paintings. They had got used to synthetic threads that wouldn’t break easily.The dying art of Chamba rumal got a breath of revival as the Delhi Crafts Council stepped in to bring back its glorious past as well as explore its contemporary themes.A rumal from Krishna seriesThe Chamba rumal is unlike the regular handkerchief. One of the artists left a piece half done. There were lot of overlapping images in the new drawings, which was a challenge for all of us. Keeping it traditional and yet making a shift, the council has also tied up with artist Swati Kalsi to conceptualise contemporary designs. The double satin stitch technique used is known as do-rukha and ensures exact duplication of the image on the opposite side of the cloth as well. But that is the beauty of Chamba rumal, it combines miniature painting with needlework," shares Anjana Somany, president of DCC. In miniature painting, a lot of focus is on line drawing. Another of these contemporary pieces got ruined twice and could only be made in the third attempt.
So it has been a process of unlearning and relearning that way. Talking about the initial challenges in this journey, the ex-president of DCC, Purnima Rai recalls, "Initially it was very difficult to even document these works of art. It makes the painting come alive," says Anjana. While the art has been patented and there are schools for this style of embroidery in Chamba, the government has somehow overlooked the fact that this art is a joint venture between painting and embroidary. During weddings, rumals are exchanged between families of the bride and groom as a token of goodwill. Talking about the contemporary designs, Prixit says, "When the contemporary designs first came in and I showed the drawings to the embroiderers, they didn’t want to make it."An average rumal takes around a month to be embroidered. There is no focus on the drawing part and there is a dearth of artists who can draw.The exhibition, ‘Raas — Life to a Dying Art’, is on at India Habitat Centre till 8 April. But this was not always the case."The council’s efforts have provided employment to artists like Masto Devi who pursue this full time.Traditional designs depicting Radha-Krishna and GopisThe Chamba rumals are embroidered square cloths from Chamba in the state of Himachal Pradesh.From telling the tales of Radha-Krishna and chausar to depicting the current political scenario and modern weddings, the Chamba rumal has come a long way. It is a work of patience. It took a lot of work.
A scene from a game of chausarPahari miniature artists, usually men, drew outlines on fine handspun and hand woven unbleached muslin. So when you say rumal, a certain picture comes to mind. Unlike these days, photography was not readily available to everyone in the 90s.A scene from a forest"One of the important things that also makes this art unique is the various shades used in the work. It is for this combination of painting and embroidery that these works are also called ‘paintings in embroidery’.
The drawing has to be very clear. But one has to be very patient with silk floss that can break easily. "We end up stereotyping things. There needs to be more focus on this," he adds. But in the end it is the same stitch, the same style of art. Traditionally, women used to embroider upon these compositions using untwisted coloured silk floss. But today the council has at least 15 shades in every colour."While the council could easily source muslin, sourcing silk floss in various shades was not that easy in the beginning. That was one of the biggest challenges we faced. Had it not been for the efforts of Delhi Crafts Council (DCC), the art of Chamba rumal would have been lost to cheap replicas and reduced to tourist keepsakes.
They are used for covering platters, as gifts for auspicious occasions and for offerings to a deity.Pahari miniature artist, Prixit Sharma agrees, "The works that stand out are China water bottling machine Manufacturers the ones that give a 3D effect; that comes from the shades and the way one manipulates the stitches
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