KASIDHA OF KASHMIR

INTODUCTION
KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY OR KASHIDA IS COLORFUL AND BEAUTIFUL AS KASHMIR ITSELF. EMBROIDERS OFTEN DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE AROUND. THE COLORS THE MOTIFS OF FLOWERS, CREEPERS AND CHINAR LEAVES, MANGO ETC. ARE THE MOST COMMON ONES. THE WHOLE PATTERN IS CREATED USING ONE OR TWO EMBROIDERY STITCH STYLES THE KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY COMMONLY KNOWN WITH ITS TRADITIONAL NAME KASHIDA EMBROIDERY IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SHEER BEAUTY AND HAS IN PERFECTION ATTAINED THE LIMITS OF FANTASY AND INCREDULITY. PATTERNS AND COLOUR SCHEMES ARE MAGNIFICENTLY EMPLOYED IN KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY BY THE CRAFTS-MAN WITH A MOOD ALIGNED TO THE SPIRIT OF NATURE. KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY IS DONE ON CANVAS BASE MATERIAL WITH CRYSTAL THREADS. PASHMINA AND LEATHER THREADS ARE ALSO USED IN KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY. THE DESIGNS AND MOTIFS EMPLOYED ARE NOTUS, GHOBI, CHINAR LEAF, NATURAL DEPICTING FLOWERS AND LEAF, BIRDS, BLOSSOMS AND TREES. UTILITY ITEMS BEING PRODUCED COMMERCIALLY TODAY ARE BED SPREAD, FLOOR CUSHION, PILLOW COVERS AND SOFA CUSHIONS ETC.

ORIGIN
ACCORDING TO RAMALA S. DONGEKERY, THE SHAWL INDUSTRY IN KASHMIR WAS INTRODUCED BY ZAIN-UL-ABEDIN. AKBAR WAS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR INTRODUCING A NEW TYPE OF SHAWL - THE DOWSHALA MEANING TWIN SHAWL. IN THIS TWO SIMILAR SHAWLS WERE WOVEN TOGETHER, THEN SEWN BACK TO BACK. SO THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE SHAWLS WERE NOT VISIBLE. KHWAJA YUSUF DURING HIS STAY IN KASHMIR GOT THE IDEA OF PRODUCING SHAWLS WITH HELP OF 'RAFOOGAR'. THESE WERE LATER KNOWN AS AMLI SHAWLS. AMLI SHAWLS WERE PLAIN-WOVEN SHAWLS, WHICH WERE ORNAMENTED WITH NEEDLE WHOLLY. THE PLAIN- WOVEN CLOTH OF THE AMLI WAS PLACED SMOOTH AND FLAT AND THEN RUBBED WITH A PIECE OF POLISHED AGATE TILL IT BECOMES PERFECTLY EVEN.THE DESIGN IS DRAWN ON PAPER AND WITH NEEDLES LINES ARE PRICKED THROUGH. THE CHARCOAL POWDER IS RUBBED ON THE PERFORATED HOLES TO TRANSFER THE DESIGN ON THE FABRIC. THE STITCH USED WAS THE DARNING STITCH, THE THREAD BEING MADE TO PICK UP THE LOOPS OF THE WARP THREAD. THE TECHNIQUE HAS MADE THE EMBROIDERY LOOK AS PREPARED ON THE LOOM.

FEBRICS
THIS EMBROIDERY IS DONE ON SILK, COTTON AND WOOL FABRICS. COLOURFUL FABRICS LIKE WHITE (SUFED), GREEN (ZINGARI), PURPLE (UDER), BLUE (FEROZI), YELLOW (ZARD) AND BLACK (MUSHKI). THE THREADS USED WERE WOOL, COTTON AND SILK. KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY IS KNOWN FOR THE SKILLED EXECUTION OF A SINGLE STITCH. CHAIN STITCH, SATIN STITCH, THE SLANTED DARN STITCH, STEM, HERRINGBONE AND SOMETIMES THE DOORI OR KNOT STITCHES ARE USED BUT NOT MORE THAN ONE OR TWO AT A TIME

COLOUR
THE BASE CLOTH WHETHER WOOL OR COTTON, IS GENERALLY WHITE OR CRME OR OTHER SIMILAR SHADES. PASTEL COLORS ARE ALSO OFTEN USED. THE CRAFTSMEN USE THE COLOR SHADES OFTEN BLENDING WITH THE BACKGROUND. THREAD COLORS ARE FLORALS SEEN AROUND. VERY FEW STITCHES ARE USED ON ONE FABRIC, ONE OR TWO. ATTIMES THE WHOLE FABRIC IS DONE IN A SINGLE STITCH TYPE. THESE STITCHES ARE OFTEN CALLED KASHMIRI STITCH.

MOTIF
THE MOTIFS WERE MAINLY TAKEN FROM NATURE; ANIMAL AND HUMAN FIGURES WERE NOT SEEN IN THIS EMBROIDERY. BIRD MOTIFS WERE SEEN ON THE SHAWLS (LIKE PARROT, WOODPECKERS AND KINGFISHERS). FLORAL MOTIFS LIKE LILY, LOTUS, IRIS, SAFFRON FLOWER AND TULIPS WERE MOSTLY SEEN ON THE SHAWLS. OTHER DESIGNS LIKE GRAPES, CHERRIES, ALMONDS AND APPLES WERE THEIR FAVOURITES. THE CHINAR LEAF IS CONSIDERED AS AN IMPORTANT MOTIF.

END USE
THIS EMBROIDERY ENHANCED THE BEAUTY OF KASHMIRI SHAWLS, SILK SAREES, DRESS MATERIALS, CUSHION COVERS, BED COVERS, PURSES, VEILS AND ARTICLES OF PERSONAL AND DAILY USE. THERE IS NO WAY ONE CAN COMPARE THE KASHMIRI EMBROIDERY WITH ANYTHING ELSE.

KANTHA
INTRODUCTION
KANTHA IS A TYPE OF EMBROIDERY POPULAR IN BANGLADESH AND IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA. THE USE OF KANTHA IS POPULAR IN KANTHA SARIS TRADITIONALLY WORN BY WOMEN IN BENGAL, BUT ANY GARMENT OR CLOTH WITH KANTHA EMBROIDERY, PREDOMINANTLY HAVING A BORDER OF DECORATIVE RUNNING STITCH MOTIFS, MAY BE CALLED A KANTHA GARMENT. [1] KANTHA STITCHING IS ALSO USED TO MAKE SIMPLE QUILTS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS NAKSHI KANTHA. WOMEN IN BENGAL TYPICALLY USE OLD SARIS AND CLOTH AND LAYER THEM WITH KANTHA STITCH TO MAKE A LIGHT BLANKET, THROW OR BEDSPREAD, ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN. KANTHA IS VERY POPULAR WITH TOURISTS VISITING BENGAL AND IS A SPECIALTY OF BOLPUR/SHANTINIKETAN, AND IS SIMILAR TO THE DECORATIVE RUNNING STITCH OF JAPANESE SASHIKO QUILTING.

ORIGIN
KANTHA EVOLVED OUT OF NECESSITY TO DRAPE OR PROTECT AGAINST COLD. KONTHA ON SANSKRIT MEANS RAGS. IT CAN RIGHTLY BE CALLED THE RECYCLING ART. THE PRECIOUS SILKS AND MUSLINS WHEN BECAME WORN-OUT, WOMEN INSTEAD OF THROWING THEM AWAY, PILED THEM IN LAYERS AND STITCHED. ANOTHER LEGEND RELATES KANTHA ORIGIN TO LORD BUDDHA AND HIS DISCIPLES. IT IS SAID THAT THEY USED TO COVER THEMSELVES WITH THE THROWN AWAY RAGS PATCHED AND STITCHED TOGETHER. THE OLDEST REFERENCE TO KANTHA IS IN SRI SRI CHAITANYA CHARITAMRITA" BY KRISHNADAS KAVIRAJ WHICH WAS WRITTEN SOME 500 YEARS BACK. KANTHA WAS SAID TO BE A LADY'S SELF EXPRESSION. THE REAL KANTHA NARRATES A STORY, THE EMOTIONS AND THE LIFE OF THE ARTIST.

FEBRICS
THIS EMBROIDERY IS DONE ON SILK, COTTON.

COLOUR
RED, ORANGE, BROWN, BLACK, GREEN

MOTIF
MUSLIM KANTHA EMBROIDERS GENERALLY USE MORE GEOMETRICAL PATTERNS AND FLORAL MOTIFS WHILE HINDU MOTIFS ARE PICTORIAL AND NARRATIVE DRAWN FROM DAILY LIFE AND EMBROIDERED AROUND A CENTRAL FLORAL MOTIF. THE DESIGN USUALLY RELIES ON A CENTRAL CIRCULAR FORM OCCUPIED BY A MANY-PETALLED LOTUS FLOWER AND FOUR MANGO OR TREE MOTIFS TO MARK THE FOUR-DIRECTIONAL AXIS. THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LOTUS AND THE TREES IS FILLED IN WITH FIGURES, OBJECTS AND SYMBOLIC MOTIFS. THE LOTUS AS A CENTRAL FORM IS SIMILAR TO THE FORM OF ALPANA THE RITUAL FLOOR PAINTING PRACTICED IN WEST BENGAL.

PROCESS
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THE KANTHA IS THAT IT IS MADE ENTIRELY FROM RE-USED CLOTH; THREADS REMOVED FROM IT ARE USED TO SECURE THE LAYERS TOGETHER. THE SARI BORDERS THAT ARE REMOVED ARE OFTEN RE-INTRODUCED AS STRIPES WHICH FORM THE BORDERS OF THE QUILT. THE DENSITY AND DIRECTION OF THE RUNNING STITCH CREATES A UNIQUE TONALITY AND RIPPLED EFFECT.

TYPES AND THEIR END USE

ARCHILATA KANTHA ARE SMALL, COVERS FOR MIRRORS OR TOILET FASHION ACCESSORIES WITH WIDE, COLORFUL BORDERS BAITON KANTHA ARE SQUARE WRAPS USED FOR COVERING BOOKS AND OTHER VALUABLES. THEY HAVE ELABORATE BORDERS DURJANI/THALIA THESE ARE QUILTED WALLETS MADE OUT OF RECTANGULAR KANTHA PIECES LEP KANTHA ARE RECTANGULAR WRAPS HEAVILY PADDED TO MAKE WARM QUILTS. THE WHOLE PIECE IS STITCHED IN A WAVY PATTERN. SIMPLE EMBROIDERY IS DONE ON THE FINISHED QUILT. OAAR KANTHA ARE PILLOW COVERS IN SIMPLE DESIGNS. A DECORATIVE BORDER IS SEWN AFTERWARDS. SUJANI KANTHA ARE DECORATIVE QUILTED KANTHA USED AS BLANKETS OR SPREADS DURING RELIGIOUS RITUALS OR OTHER OCCASIONS. THIS STARTED IN 18TH CENTURY IN BIHAR. RUMAL KANTHA ARE USED AS ABSORBENT WIPES OR PLATE COVERINGS. THEY ALSO FEATURE A CENTRAL LOTUS WITH ORNAMENTED BORDERS.

PHULKARI
INTRODUCTION
PHULKARI, AN EMBROIDERY TECHNIQUE FROM THE PUNJAB IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN LITERALLY MEANS FLOWER WORKING, WHICH WAS AT ONE TIME USED AS THE WORD FOR EMBROIDERY, BUT IN TIME THE WORD PHULKARI BECAME RESTRICTED TO EMBROIDERED SHAWLS AND HEAD SCARFS. SIMPLE AND SPARSELY EMBROIDERED ODINI (HEAD SCARFS) AND SHAWLS, MADE FOR EVERYDAY USE, ARE CALLED PHULKARIS, WHEREAS GARMENTS THAT COVER THE ENTIRE BODY, MADE FOR SPECIAL AND CEREMONIAL OCCASIONS, ARE KNOWN AS BAGHS ("GARDEN").

ORIGIN
PHULKARI, A RURAL TRADITION OF HANDMADE EMBROIDERY, LITERALLY MEANING " FLOWER WORK ", WAS PERPETUATED BY THE WOMEN OF PUNJAB (NORTH-WEST INDIA & PAKISTAN) DURING THE 19TH CENTURY AND TILL THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY.EVEN THOUGH THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY TODAY, IS IMITATING THIS ART WITH THE HELP OF MACHINES, PHULKARI WORK HAS ALMOST DISAPPEARED IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM, DUE TO THE PARTITION OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN IN 1947, WHICH HAD A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE DIVIDED PUNJAB, AS WELL AS THE OBVIOUS SOCIO-ECONOMICAL REASONS (SCHOOLING, LACK OF INTEREST FOR MANUAL WORK, PROFITABILITY, INDUSTRIALIZATION...).

FEBRICS
COTTON AND SILK

COLOUR
THE MOST FAVOURED COLOUR IS RED AND ITS SHADES, BECAUSE BAGH AND PHULKARI ARE USED DURING MARRIAGE AND OTHER FESTIVALS. RED IS CONSIDERED AUSPICIOUS BY HINDUS AND SIKHS. OTHER COLOURS ARE BROWN, BLUE, BLACK, WHITE. WHITE WAS USED IN BAGH BY ELDERLY LADIES. GOLDEN YELLOW, GREEN, WHITE, CRIMSON RED AND ORANGE ARE OTHER THE FIVE COLOURS PREPARED IN SELECTING SILK FLOSS FOR PHULKARI WORK.

MOTIF
THE MOTIFS ARE MADE UP OF HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL AND DIAGONAL STITCHES, PRODUCING GEOMETRIC PATTERN IN PHULKARI DESIGNS WHILE THE BAUGH HAS AN OVERALL GEOMETRICALLY FLORAL PATTERN. THOUGH IT BEGAN WITH GEOMETRICAL PATTERNS, FLOWERS AND LEAVES, TODAY, THE DESIGNS HAVE BEEN ENLARGED TO ENCOMPASS BIRDS, ANIMALS, HUMAN FIGURES, THE SUN, MOON, THE OBJECTS OF EVERYDAY USE AND EVERYTHING FOUND ON THE EARTH.

END USE
BED AND CUSHION COVERS , BLOUSE (CHOLI) , LONG SKIRT (GAGHRA), SHAWL , DUPATTA

KASUTI
INTRODUCTION
KASUTI IS A TRADITIONAL FORM OF EMBROIDERY PRACTICED IN THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, INDIA. KASUTI WORK INVOLVES EMBROIDERING VERY INTRICATE PATTERNS LIKE GOPURA, CHARIOT, PALANQUIN, LAMPS AND CONCH SHELLS. LOCALLY AVAILABLE MATERIALS ARE USED FOR KASUTI. THE PATTERN TO BE EMBROIDERED IS FIRST MARKED WITH CHARCOAL OR PENCIL AND THEN PROPER NEEDLES AND THREAD ARE SELECTED. THE WORK IS LABORIOUS AND INVOLVES COUNTING OF EACH THREAD ON THE CLOTH. THE PATTERNS ARE STITCHED WITHOUT USING KNOTS TO ENSURE THAT BOTH SIDES OF THE CLOTH LOOK ALIKE.[4] DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF STITCHES ARE EMPLOYED TO OBTAIN THE DESIRED PATTERN. SOME OF THE STITCHES EMPLOYED ARE GANTI, MURGI, NEYGE AND MENTHE.[5] GANTI IS A DOUBLE RUNNING STITCH USED FOR MARKING VERTICAL, HORIZONTAL AND DIAGONAL LINES, MURGI IS A ZIG-ZAG STITCH, NEYGE IS A RUNNING STITCH AND MENTHE IS A CROSS STITCH RESEMBLING FENUGREEK SEEDS.

ORIGIN
THE HISTORY OF KASUTI DATES BACK TO THE CHALUKYA PERIOD.[2] THE NAME KASUTI IS DERIVED FROM THE WORDS KAI (MEANING HAND) AND SUTI (MEANING COTTON), INDICATING AN ACTIVITY THAT IS DONE USING COTTON AND HANDS.[3] THE WOMEN COURTIERS IN THE MYSORE KINGDOM IN THE 17TH CENTURY WERE EXPECTED TO BE ADEPT IN 64 ARTS, WITH KASUTI BEING ONE OF THEM. [3] IT IS ALSO SAID THAT THE LAMBANI CLAN LEFT THEIR TRADITIONAL HOME OF RAJASTHAN AND SETTLED DOWN IN KARNATAKA AND BROUGHT THE KASUTI CRAFT ALONG WITH THEM. SAREES EMBROIDERED WITH KASUTI WERE EXPECTED TO BE A PART OF THE BRIDAL TROUSSEAU OF WHICH ONE SAREE MADE OF BLACK SILK WITH KASUTI EMBROIDERY CALLED CHANDRAKALI SAREE WAS OF PREMIER IMPORTANCE.

FEBRICS
INITIALLY, THE EMBROIDERY WAS DONE ONLY WITH COTTON THREADS. HOWEVER, SILK THREADS ARE ALSO BEING USED EVEN WHEN THE DESIGNS ARE TO BE CREATED ON COTTON FABRIC.

COLOUR
COLORS USED PREDOMINANTLY ARE ORANGE, PURPLE, GREEN AND RED.

MOTIF
HINDU MOTIFS ARE PREDOMINANT IN KASUTI, MUSLIM INFLUENCE IS COMPLETELY ABSENT. FACTORS INFLUENCING CHOICE OF MOTIFS ARE RELIGION, ARCHITECTURE AND OBJECTS OF DAILY USE. THEY ARE TAKEN FROM GOPURAM (TEMPLE TOPS) LOTUS FLOWER, PALINQUIN, CRADLES, BIRDS AND ANIMALS LIKE- SWANS, PEACOCKS, SQUIRRELS, ELEPHANTS, NANDI OR SACRED BULL. ONE RARELY FINDS LIONS, TIGERS AND HORSES, BUT DOGS AND CATS ARE NEVER SEEN.

END USE
KASUTI DESIGNS CAN BE EMBROIDERED ON SARIS, FROCKS, HANDKERCHIEFS, BLOUSES, BED COVERS, CURTAINS, TABLE CLOTH AND ANY OTHER MATERIAL.

CHIKANKARI
INTRODUCTION
CHIKANKARI WAS NURTURED IN UTTAR PRADESH AND PRIMARILY IN LUCKNOW. THE WORK IS DONE ON VERY FINE MUSLIN AND NOW ON GEORGETTE AND CHIFFON AND OTHER FINE FABRICS. IT IS MORE SUITED FOR THE OUTERWEAR BUT THESE DAYS THERE ARE CERTAIN EXCLUSIVE CREATIONS USING CHIKAN WORK IN CUSHION COVERS, PILLOW COVERS AND TABLE LINEN. PARTITION CURTAINS WITH THE CHIKAN EMBROIDERY ARE FAST GAINING GROUND.

ORIGIN
TRADITIONALLY CHICKNKARI IS THE WHITE THREAD EMBROIDERY DONE ON THE WHITE MUSLIN OR MULMUL. THE WORD CHIKAN COMES FROM THE PERSIAN WORD CHAKEEN MEANING MAKING DELICATE PATTERNS ON THE FABRIC. THE ART IS SAID TO BE INTRODUCED BY NOORJAHAN THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN OF EMPEROR JAHANGIR. SHE IS SAID TO BE AN EXPERT IN EMBROIDERY AND INSPIRED BY THE TURKISH EMBROIDERY. ACCORDING TO MEGASTHENES, THE CHIKAN ORIGINATED IN EAST BENGAL. HE MENTIONS CHIKAN, THE FLORALS ON FINE MUSLINS IN 3RD CENTURY BC. THE CRAFTSMEN BELIEVE THAT THE ORIGIN GOES BACK TO THE TIME OF PROPHET. IT IS BELIEVED THAT WHILE HE WAS PASSING THROUGH A VILLAGE IN UTTAR PRADESH, HE REQUESTED A VILLAGER FOR WATER. ON BEING OFFERED THAT, HE GAVE THE ART OF CHIKANKARI TO THE POOR VILLAGER AS AN ART THAT WILL NEVER LET HIM GO HUNGRY.

FEBRICS
ORIGINALLY, CHIKAN EMBROIDERY WAS DONE WITH THE UNTWISTED WHITE COTTON THREAD ON SOFT, WHITE COTTON FABRIC LIKE MUSLIN OR CAMBRIC. IT WAS SOMETIMES DONE ON NET TO PRODUCE A KIND OF LACE. TODAY CHIKAN WORK IS NOT ONLY DONE WITH COLOURED THREADS BUT ON ALL KINDS OF FABRICS LIKE SILK, CREPE, GEORGETTE, ORGANDIE CHIFFON, AND TASSAR.

COLOUR
WHITE

MOTIF
THE MOST COMMON MOTIF USED IS THAT OF A CREEPERS. FLORAL MOTIFS MAY ENRICH THE ENTIRE GARMENT OR JUST ONE CORNER. AMONG THE FLORAL MOTIFS EMBROIDERED, THE JASMINE, ROSE, FLOWERING STEMS, LOTUS AND THE PAISLEY MOTIF ARE THE MOST POPULAR.

END USE
SARIS, KURTAS, AND VEILS

CHAMBA RUMAL

INTRODUCTION
CHAMBA IS A PART OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, NOTED FOR ITS EXQUISITE STYLE OF PHAHARI AND KAUGRA SCHOOL OF PAINTING. THE STLYE OF PAINTING INFLUENCED THE EMBOIDERY OF THE PLACE AND MAYBE CONSIDERED AS NEEDLE PAINTING.

ORIGIN
THE HISTORY OF THE CHAMBA RUMAL IS LINKED WITH THAT OF THE RULERS OF CHAMBA. AFTER THE DEATH OF THE MUGHAL EMPEROR AURUNGZEB IN 1707, THE MUGHAL COURT WENT INTO DECLINE. THE CHAMBA KING RAJA UMED SINGH (1748-68) THEN OFFERED PATRONAGE TO MINIATURE ARTISTS FROM THE MUGHAL COURTS. THIS PATRONAGE CONTINUED UNDER UMED SINGH'S SUCCESSORS RAJ SINGH (1764-94) AND CHARAT SINGH (1794-1808). EVEN BEFORE THE EXODUS OF THE ARTISTS FROM THE MUGHAL COURT, CHAMBA WAS NOT UNFAMILIAR WITH MINIATURE PAINTING. THOUGH THE PAHARI RAJAS WERE INDEPENDENT RULERS, THEY WERE UNDER A LARGER CANOPY OF MUGHAL SUZERAINTY THAT ALLOWED A FLOW OF IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES FROM THE MUGHAL COURT. THE SENSIBILITY OF THE PAHARI MINIATURE - CONSIDERED THE INSPIRATION FOR ARTISTIC, DESIGN, AND AESTHETIC EXPRESSION OF THE CHAMBA RUMAL - WAS PROOF OF THIS CULTURAL INTERACTION

FEBRICS
FABRIC- USED IS TUSSAI OR FINE COTTON FARIC, IT IS WHITE OR CREAM IN COLOUR. THE CLOTH IS GENERALLY UNLEACHED AND THUS APPEARS OFF- WHITE IN COLOUR. MATERIAL USED IS HAND SPUN THIN FABRIC LIKE MALMAL OR HAND SPUN HAND WOVEN KHADDAR. MACHINE MADE CLOTH IS ALSO USED WHICH REMAINS UNBLEACHED.

COLOUR
COLORS USED ARE MANY AND VARY. NO CHUMBA RUMAL IS FOUND IN ONE COLOR. BLUE WAS PREDOMINANT IN EARLIER SAMPLES. OTHER COLORS ARE GREEN ORANGE AND YELLOW. IF A MOTIF OF THE FIGURE OF LORD KRISHNA WAS USED, THE BODY WAS EMBRIODERED IN BLUE AND THE HANDS AND FEET WERE EMBROIDERED IN CRIMSON OR MAUVE. COLORS WERE CHOSEN BASED ON VARIETY RATHER THAN APPROPRIATENESS.

MOTIF
ANIMAL AND BIRD MOTIFS ALONG WITH HUMAN FIGURES ARE USED. BIRD MOTIFS INCLUDE PARROTS, PEACOCK, DUCK AND SWAN. ANIMAL MOTIFS INCLUDE LEAPING TIGERS, HORSES, RAMS, RUNNING BOARS. TREE MOTIFS INCLUDE THE CYPRESS AND THE PLAINTAIN TRESS BENT, LADEN WITH FLOWERS AND FRUITS. THE MOTIFS WERE USUALLY STYLISED IN NATURE. THE THEMES ARE MOSTLY INSPIRED BY PAINTINGS AND DEPICT SCENES FROM INDAIN MYTHOLOGY, RAMAYAN, MAHABHARAT, RAS LILA, KRISHNA LILA, PAHARI PAINTINGS, HUNTING, MARRIAGE SCENES, AND GAME OF DICE.

END USE
THE SHAPE OF 'RUMAL' IS VARIED WITH SQUARE AND OBLONG SHAPES, THEY ARE RANGED FROM SMALL TO A BED-SHEET LENGTH. WHITE KHADDAR (COTTON) CLOTH AS THE BASE AND UNTWISTED, UNSPUN RAW SILK THREADS IN VARIOUS HUES ARE USED IN THE RUMAL. DOUBLE SATIN STITCH TECHNIQUE IS DEPLOYED, WHICH GIVE IDENTICAL IMPRESSION TO THE RUMAL ON BOTH SIDES OF IT. BESIDES HANDKERCHIEF, OTHER PRODUCTS IN THIS CRAFT INCLUDE WALL HANGINGS, HAND FANS, DICE BOARD, BODICES, CUSHION & PILLOW COVERS, CAPS, FANS (PAKHI) AND MANY OTHER THINGS DEPICTING RELIGIOUS, HISTORICAL & SOCIAL THEMES ON THE RUMAL SUCH AS RADHA-KRISHNA, KRISHNA RAS LEELA, NAG LEELA, SHIKARGAH, GADDI & GADDAN WITH LAMB, MINJAR FAIR OF CHAMBA,