Calico Museum of Textiles, Gujarat, India
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. Two tours are offered each day the museum is open; advance booking is required, either by phone or by email.
The main textile galleries can only be visited on the morning tour (maximum 20 people), which lasts two hours. The afternoon tour (maximum 10 people) is devoted to the Sarabhai Foundation’s collection of religious art, which explores depictions of Indian deities, including textile galleries.
Kids under 10 are not welcome. 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 ₹40.
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