Calico Museum of Textiles

The Calico Museum of Textiles is one of the world's foremost collections of Indian fabrics, housed in a heritage complex in Ahmedabad, a city long central to India's textile trade. Founded in 1949 by the industrialist Gautam Sarabhai and his sister Gira, it grew from the family's deep involvement in the cotton industry that gave Ahmedabad its nickname as the "Manchester of the East".

The collection is exceptional in range and quality. It spans centuries of court and religious textiles, including sumptuous Mughal-era pieces, tie-dye and block-printed cloth, embroideries, brocades, tent hangings and ceremonial fabrics, along with related displays of temple art, bronzes and furniture. The galleries are set within traditional carved wooden havelis reassembled on the site.

What makes it distinctive is the curatorial rigour. The museum is run more like a scholarly institution than a tourist attraction, and to protect the fragile textiles, visits are strictly limited: numbers are capped and access is by guided tour only, with photography inside not permitted.

For visitors, this means planning ahead is essential, as tours must be arranged in advance and places are few; timings are limited and the museum is closed on certain days. The guided walk-through, led by knowledgeable staff, gives a rare, close look at masterpieces of Indian craftsmanship that are seldom displayed elsewhere. The leafy Sarabhai compound in the Shahibaug area is a pleasant setting, and the reconstructed carved havelis that house the galleries are worth seeing in their own right. Because group sizes are small, the experience feels privileged and unhurried, quite unlike a conventional museum. For travellers with a serious interest in textiles, design or Indian art history, the Calico Museum is a remarkable and unusually exclusive experience, well worth the effort of booking.