Calico Museum of Textiles

Top choice in Ahmedabad (Amdavad)


This museum contains one of the world’s finest collections of antique and modern Indian textiles, all handmade and up to 500 years old. There are some astoundingly beautiful pieces, displaying incredible virtuosity and extravagance. You’ll see Kashmiri shawls that took three years to make, and double-ikat cloths whose 100,000 threads were each individually dyed before weaving. A single tour is offered each day the museum is open; booking weeks in advance is absolutely essential as spaces are limited to 20.

The tour takes in the main textile galleries, where you get to see remarkable examples of tapestries, royal garments, exquisite saris, tribal costumes, Patola and Mashru weaves and Bandhani tie-dye. A separate gallery showcases examples of needlework from around the world, and you can also see sacred bronzes, pichwais (devotional cloth hangings) and miniature paintings. Although the collection is fabulous, the tour is quite long and even dedicated textile enthusiasts have found it too much. For those with only a passing interest it might be better to let someone truly passionate about the subject grab a ticket instead.

Children under 10 are not admitted. Photography is not permitted and bags are not allowed inside. The museum is in the Shahibag area, 3.5km north of the old centre, opposite the Shahibag Underbridge. An autorickshaw from Lal Darwaja should cost about ₹50.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ahmedabad (Amdavad) attractions

1. Toilet Garden

0.82 MILES

Who knew that the humble toilet could be so interesting? Part of the Sanitation Institute, the Toilet Garden displays designs for new ecofriendly toilet…

2. Sabarmati Ashram

0.85 MILES

In peaceful, shady grounds on the Sabarmati River’s west bank, this ashram was Gandhi’s headquarters from 1917 to 1930 during the long struggle for Indian…

3. Hutheesingh Temple

0.94 MILES

Outside Delhi Gate, this Jain temple is one of 300 derasars in Ahmedabad. Even if you've already seen some, this one will make your jaw drop in wonder at…

4. Kalam Kush

0.96 MILES

This factory transforms scraps of waste cotton into paper, which was one of the cottage industries introduced by Gandhi. No chemicals are used in the…

5. Dada Hari Ni Vav

1.35 MILES

This relatively little known step-well, built in 1499 by the supervisor of Sultan Mahmud Begada’s harem, descends through five levels to a small well, now…

6. Dai Halima Mosque

1.36 MILES

Behind Dada Hari Ni Vav step well, the 16th-century Dai Halima Mosque contains the mausoleum of a royal midwife named Halima, with attractive jali (carved…

7. Rani Rupmati Mosque

1.62 MILES

Dating from around 1430-40, the Rani Rupmati mosque was built by Sultan Mahmud Begada in memory of his wife, Rani Rupmati (the mosque is sometimes called…

8. Swaminarayan Temple

1.66 MILES

The glorious, multicoloured, carved-wood Swaminarayan Temple, in the old city, was built in 1822 as the first temple of the Swaminarayan Hindu sect…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "india/gujarat/ahmedabad-amdavad/attractions/calico-museum-of-textiles/a/poi-sig/478360/356239",
      "destination": "Ahmedabad-(Amdavad)",
      "continent": "Asia",
      "country": "India",
      "city": "Ahmedabad-(Amdavad)",
      "position": "superzone"
    }