Said to have originated in the erstwhile princely
state of Himachal, Chamba Rumal is venerated
world over for its delicate embroidery. Presidential
awardee Lalita Vakil’s intricately stitched Chamba
rumal depicts defining elements of nature and
remnants of the glorious past. Known for exhibiting
her exquisite work and lending her expertise and
training to further the craft, she says that her
biggest satisfaction comes from the knowledge that
many young and aspiring girls have benefitted from
her passion. Vakil’s strong will to experiment,
produce new designs, scour old patterns to be
reproduced and delve into the history books to pick
out new ideas is truly laudable. “I am now
experimenting with newer forms of depiction on
coloured backgrounds.”, says the seasoned artist.
Similarly, indigenous to Bengal is the beautiful
Kantha stitch, and using it as a medium for self-
expression is Mahamaya Sikdar, who has given a
new dimension to Kantha art. Her exquisite and
beautiful hand-stitched sarees have won her the
National award both times. Mahamaya now has a
cluster of about 300 women from the suburbs of
Kolkata working under her, subsequently creating
additional income source for them. Infusing
traditional methods with the vibrancy of
contemporary themes, these women have been
weaving compelling narratives through different
forms of embroidery.
Tales of Thread