6. Calico Textile Museum, Ahmedabad

Established in 1949, the Calico Textile Museum located at Retreat on Airport Road is the oldest textile museum in Ahmedabad. Initiated by the renowned industrial personality, Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gita Sarabhai, this museum was inaugurated by the former Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The museum has been preserving various weaving materials, a variety of colorful and designer fabrics from different parts of the country. Although started in Calico House, the Calico Textile Museum moved to a part of Sarabhai House called "The Retreat" in 1983.

Currently, the museum is managed and maintained by the Sarabhai Foundation; an NGO organized by the Sarabhai family. In addition to textiles, the museum also displays South Indian bronze art, temple tapestries, furniture, miniature artwork, and Jain artifacts. The Calico Textile Museum also has gallery sections and a library.

A walk inside the Calico Textile Museum

The Haveli and the Chauk are the two sections of the Calico Textile Museum. The former displays temple cloth, bronze, and Jain artwork, while the Chauk houses various royal goods, including Mughlai tents, carpets, furniture, and royal clothing from the 1400s to 1500s.

The Calico Textile Museum is not only a preserve for the history of fabric, but also intricate works of art like Pichwai, which are elaborate Hindu paintings or woven into cloth. Kacchi or Kutch embroidery which is a piece of exquisite handicraft from Kutch district of Gujarat and Patan Patolas which are amazing Gujarati ikat double weave silk sarees and other fabrics are also found here.

The museum is home to important textiles from across the country such as Kashmiri shawls, a small collection from Shah Jahan's wardrobe, unique South Indian fabrics such as saris and materials from temple designers, Punjabi folk art and global sewing on cloth. The museum also has ancient Indian manuscripts and palm leaf mandala art.