Rasa Lila

Chamba rumal; silk-floss embroidery on linen.
Northwesten India (Himachal Pradesh; Chamba-valley), first half 19th cent.
size: 73 x 74 cm.

Rumal are (mostly) square, embroidered offering-clothes, to put in top of the offerings on a tray.
Chamba-rumal are famous, because of their typical style of embroidery, on both sides of the rumal the same. Most rumals are of a primitive, folkish style; only a few are sophisticated, comparable with the famous miniature paintings of the same area.

Rasa Lila is the dance of Krishna with the cow-girls of the village. As every girl wants to dance with him, Krishna muliplies himself so every girl can have him as a partner.