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The Calico Museum of Textile

The Calico Museum of Textile

The Calico Museum of Textile AhmedabadThe Calico Museum of Textile

Calico Museum of Textile is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ahmedabad city. Founded in 1949 by Mr. Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Ms. Gira Sarabhai, the Calico Museum of Textile is currently managed by Sarabhai Foundation. Ahmedabad city has the perfect combination of history, art and modern attractions that aspires all types of visitors to explore it. With its flooded textile manufacturing history, once upon a time, Ahmedabad was known as the Manchester of the East. It holds influential textile manufacturing history during and post-independence era of India. All of these historical movements and glorious past are craftily presented at Calico Museum of Textile Ahmedabad. It is one of the must-visit museums and attractions in Ahmedabad. Also, it ranks top on overall things to see and do in Ahmedabad. It swiftly represents how the city has become the textile manufacturing hub in the past.

This museum is famous for its exciting collection of fabric and textile materials which are brought together from different parts of the country. Located in the neighborhood of the Shahibaug Palace, this museum is nicely placed with lush green gardens, parks, and fountains. The Calico Museum of Textile is also an interesting place for many overseas researchers and students to learn about the Indian Textile Industry. This museum in Ahmedabad makes them realize how the 600 plus years old city is the heart and charm of Indian textile culture. Calico Textile Museum Ahmedabad was founded in the year 1949 and then Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru has inaugurated it. Initially, the museum was at Calico Mills but it was moved to its new place, Sarabhai House in Shahibaug in 1983.

The Calico Museum of Textile Image Gallery

Dr. Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy was the inspiration behind the museum and he suggested Gautam Sarabhai and Gira Sarabhai set a textile institute and showcase in the Ahmedabad keeping in mind the incredible growth of the textile industry. The Calico Museum of Textile located in Ahmedabad city today shows one of its kind collections and rightly renowned amongst the very few textile museums in the world. The astonishing collection of old age Indian fabric represents handicraft fabric spanning over 500 years. This Ahmedabad Calico Musem attracts large numbers of local as well as foreign visitors and international research students. Most importantly this museum represents the references about the Indian textile industry and surviving handicraftsmen of the country. The textile artifacts were collected with an idea to conserve history, spread awareness and spread across the capabilities of the deep textile heritage of the country. From its early beginning in 1949, today the total collection has grown into manifolds with an excellent repository of fabrics of different colors, designs, patterns and prepared with different weaving methods. This collection has offered a golden chance to national and international students to study and learn versatile knowledge of this extraordinary Indian ethos.

Earlier this museum of Ahmedabad city was founded by in the great industrial house of Calico but later on, in the year 1983, it was moved to the beautiful area of Shahibaug. This museum exhibits the artful designs, delicate weaving work and some of the finest hand-woven articles from all over the country. These articles participate in various galleries of the museum. Some of the exhibitions like Kalamkaris, Silks, Bandhnis, Patolas & Saris, Floor Spreads and Tent Canopies add the dazzling glamour to this place.

The museum of textiles in Ahmedabad is divided into two main parts called Haveli and Chowk. The Haveli has an exclusive collection of all types of religious textiles, Miniature Paintings, Bronze items, Jain Arts and Crafts and more. While Chowk has textiles representing royal tents, carpets, furnishings, dresses, and costumes of Mughals. Exploring through the two sections of the Calico Textile Museum is an exciting experience one can feel. Also, the learning about the textile culture and heritage of India can bring visitors back to many centuries. The showcase of needlework and handwoven fabric can fascinate any history lover. A showcase of religious traditional articles from the 15th century that are placed in one of the galleries of Vallabha Sampradaya is one of the important attractions of this museum. There are some good articles collected and showcase from the Mughal sumptuousness.

The best of the artifact of the Textile Museum is the wall hanging depicting Krishna that hangs from the second floor to the ground floor level. There is also a showcase of an embroidered tent used by the Mughal Ruler Shah Jahan. The ancient manuscripts printed on palm leaves are amazing and not to miss. Another remarkable presentation is of the Ikkat Cloth where over 1,00,000 threads were dyed before weaving them. There is also a collection of folk art from Punjab, South Indian Silk, and Brocades from Varanasi. To preserve the colors of the fabric and the quality of the material the light inside the museum is kept low.

The Calico Museum of Textile, Ahmedabad is a little different than the other museums by not following the conventional method of showing articles on glass cases, articles here are well covered with the transparent film that is scientifically tested. It helps to protect historical things from air pollution, dust, and temperature.

All in all, this museum is not just an exhibition of ancient Indian textile articles but it is a different world altogether. The Calico Museum Ahmedabad transports visitors to the centuries of 15th and 16th with bringing back the golden ear of the Indian textile industry.

The Calico Museum of Textiles

Address: The Retreat, Airport Road
Opp. Rani Sati Mandir, Jain Colony,
Shahibag, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380004
E-mail : calicomuseum@gmail.com / info@calicomuseum.com
Website: www.sarabhaifoundation.com / www.calicomuseum.org
Phone Number : +91 079 2286 8172

Timings: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Note: Entry is free but limited to 20 persons. Only one tour is arranged daily. It is advisable to check availability in advance. Kids below 10 years are not allowed. For children aging 10 to 15 years need to be guided by their parents or guardians. Also, photography is prohibited. Timings of the museum guided tour is from 10:30 am to 1:00 pm. Booking can be done in advance.

To make booking tourists can visit the official website of Calico Museum or call on 079 22868172 / 22865995.

The Calico Museum of Textiles Location