Anthropological Museum

The Calico Museum of Textiles, tucked within the peaceful tree shaded grounds of The Retreat in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad, stands as India's premier textile museum and houses one of the world's most comprehensive collections of historic Indian fabrics, royal court garments, and sacred temple tapestries in Gujarat.

Founded in 1949 by pioneering industrialist siblings Gautam Sarabhai and Gira Sarabhai, and inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, this world renowned institution celebrates five centuries of Indian weaving virtuosity, natural dye mastery, and hand painted textile traditions.

It's the home of priceless Mughal and regional royal court costumes embroidered with gold zardozi wire, rare double ikat silk Patan Patola weaves, hand painted Vaishnavite Pichwai temple hangings from Nathdwara, Coromandel coast trade chintzes, and authentic reconstructed 19th century carved wooden Gujarati havelis.

It represents a rich cultural treasure house where textile preservation science, Gujarati mercantile patronage, classical Indian art scholarship, and peaceful heritage garden architecture unite along the Sabarmati basin.

Located in the Shahibaug heritage enclave, it sits 5 km from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, 6 km from Ahmedabad Junction Railway Station, and 4 km from Sabarmati Ashram.

The Sarabhai Foundation & Haveli Architecture

The museum originated under the patronage of the Calico Mills industrial house, inspired by the visionary art historian Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy. In 1983, the collection moved to the Sarabhai family estate in Shahibaug to safeguard the fragile textiles from urban heat and dust.

The museum galleries are set within authentic wooden havelis that were carefully dismantled from old Ahmedabad pols, transported to Shahibaug, and reconstructed piece by piece with hand carved brackets, stone jalis, and leafy courtyard gardens.

Truth is, the tranquil ambient setting with shaded neem trees, lotus ponds, and wandering peacocks provides the ideal microclimate for preserving centuries old silk and cotton fibers from solar damage and excessive humidity.

Key Gallery Highlights & Textile Masterpieces

Court Costumes & Royal Garments: The Main Haveli houses imperial Mughal jama robes, royal achkans, brocade turbans, Kashmiri Pashmina shawls, and velvet floor carpets woven with pure silver and gold zardozi embroidery from the 16th to 19th centuries.

Religious & Temple Textiles: The Chauk wing exhibits sacred painted and embroidered Pichwai hangings depicting Lord Krishna's divine leelas, Jain pilgrimage cloths (Tirthankara patas), and South Indian temple Kalamkari hangings depicting scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Trade Textiles & Double Ikat Patola: Rare 800 year-old trade fabrics exported from Gujarat to Egypt, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, alongside heritage Patan Patola sarees crafted using the complex double ikat resist dyeing technique.

Visitor Guidelines & Guided Tour Rules

To preserve the delicate historical dyes and fabrics, admission is strictly restricted to pre registered guided tours conducted every morning from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Each tour is limited to a small group of around 20 to 30 visitors.

Advance online booking via the official Sarabhai Foundation website is mandatory. Entry is free. Photography, mobile phones, bags, and food items are strictly prohibited inside the galleries, and children under the age of 10 are not permitted on the regular tour.

Combine your visit with nearby historic attractions including the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Hutheesing Jain Temple, and Sabarmati Ashram for a rich cultural immersion into Ahmedabad's UNESCO World Heritage city.