Chamba handkerchiefs intricately weave popular tales from Lord Krishna, the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas, along with depictions of heroic romances and Raga-Ragini, says research scholar Dr. Rohini Arora.

Speaking at the Museum Popular Lecture at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) on Wednesday, Arora highlighted the rich legacy of Chamba embroidery. A notable example is the Chamba handkerchief housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London—gifted in 1883 by Raja Gopal Singh of Chamba to British representatives, featuring masterful depictions of the Kurukshetra war.

Arora, who earned her PhD in textiles and apparel science from Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi (2015), emphasized that the Pahari region has long upheld a tradition of exquisite embroidery, historically crafted by women in their leisure time. Originally practiced across undivided Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, Chamba embroidery is renowned for its double-sided designs on handkerchiefs, pahari cholies, and household textiles.

“Today, Chamba remains the sole hub for this extraordinary craft. Research efforts aim to explore, innovate, and restore its past grandeur,” Arora noted.