the chamba rumal conjures up an image of a finely embroidered miniature painting. the tradition of chamba rumal has been practiced in chamba & neighboring states. these rumals are done on a squarish pieces of fine muslin cloth with vivid silk threads. firstly, the painter used to device a design on a course loin cloth with black lines and then women used to do embroidery work according to his instructions. the stitch employed in the embroidery is called "do-rukha" means double satin stitch which comes out exactly identical on the both sides. ladies of the noble families in chamba used to embroider the rumal during their pastime. they also used to give the embroidered pieces to their daughters as an important item of the dowry. the borders, floral ornamentation and portrayal of animals on the rumal is usually extremely sophisticated. rasamandal is the famous subject of the rumal however, hunting, nayika bhed, shiva family and mahabharata were other popular themes. these rumals are used to cover gifts and also used as decorative item in the home. some times these rumals were also gifted to the deities in the temple.