Lalita Vakil
President Kovind presents Padma Shri to Smt Lalita Vakil for Art. A Chamba Rumal embroiderer, her main objective is to preserve, practice, and impart the training of this cultural dying form.
Who is Lalita Vakil ?
Lalita Vakil is an Indian embroidery artist known for her contributions to the preservation and promotion of Chamba Rumal, a traditional form of handkerchief embroidery from the Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. At the age of fifteen, Vakil was married. Her father-in-law noticed her ability for designing Chamba Rumal patterns. He further inspired her to impart this craft on local women and girls. Vakil has been working to promote and protect Chamba Rumal for the past fifty years. She has made numerous trips both inside and outside of India to show her artwork and lead workshops for this type of traditional needlework.
Vakil has continually experimented with Chamba Rumal’s patterns. To make larger sections of the handkerchief, she was the first lady to incorporate silk into the embroidery. Additionally, she has created designs for multi-panel sets as well as saris, shawls, dupattas, and stoles.