It is said that if you want to know the history of some place then pay a visit to its museums because that is where all the records have been kept safely. Hence if you want to explore the glorious past of Ahemedabad – textile city of western India – then a visit to its museums is a must.
Ahmedabad with all its glorious past is city drenched in history and the museums will give any traveler a valuable insight into the culture and lifestyle of the people of Ahemdabad. These museums takes the visitor into the past, thus giving an opportunity to know about the royal life of the rulers of the Ahmedabad.
Each museum of the city houses important artifacts, miniature paintings and other items of daily use that was used by the people in earlier era. Each displayed article in the museum is valuable with an archaeological importance.
Listed below are some of the most prominent museums of the city and a visit to these museums is a must if you are in Ahemdabad.
Sardar Patel National Memorial
Sardar Patel National Memorial is one of the most important buildings in Ahmedabad. Dedicated to the Iron Man of India – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – the memorial is both a museum as well as an exhibition center. Located in the environs of lush greens of Moti Shahi Mahal in Shahibaugh, the museum houses various portraits of Sardar Patel depicting his life, family, friends and national movement. The memorial building is surrounded by Sardar Open Garden with a stone statue of Sardar Patel and an open air theater where the documentary films are also shown.
Sabarmati Ashram
Located on the banks of River Sabarmati, the Sabarmati Ashram was founded in the year 1915 and is also known as Gandhi Ashram or Harijan Ashram. The ashram houses all the things used by Mahatma Gandhi and it was once the residence of Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of the nation and it was from this place the first campaign Satyagrah (revolution) of the Ahmedabad Textile Mill workers was launched. It was followed by the Kheda Satyagrah. Salt Revolution or Namak satyagrah as it is commonly known as in India, was the last campaign launched from here. Owing to the importance of Sabarmati Ashram in the national movement, it is also referred to as the 'Satyagrah Ashram'.
Hussain Doshi Gufa
Hussain Doshi Gufa is an underground art gallery located in Ahmedabad that depicts the works of the famous Indian painter named MFHussain. It has been designed by the famous architect BV Doshi. Thus, the art gallery has been named after the two eminent personalities, Hussain and Doshi. The gallery is more popularly known as Amdavad ni Gufa. It has been given the name Gufa, as its structural design resembles a cave.
Calico Museum of Textiles
One of the finest museums to be set up in India, Calico Museum of Textiles houses some of the rare collections of textiles dating back to the 17th century. Located in the Sarabhai Foundation, in Shahibaug area the museum was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1949 and deals with both the historical and technical study of Indian handicraft and textile industry thus attracting many tourists, researchers and scholars from across the globe.
