Kite Museum

The first of its kind in the country and the second in the world (the other one is in Osaka, Japan), the Kite Museum was the brainchild of Mr. Bhanubhai Shah who passionately collected kites ever since he was 21 years old. As Mr Shah’s collection expanded, in 1986 it was made into a museum that currently has an assortment of around 125 kites! Even if you are not a kite-enthusiast, this Museum is bound to fuel your imagination – which is a great feat, considering how small it is.

Located in Sanskar Kendra, in the same building as the Ahmedabad City Museum (designed by the French Architect Le Corbusier), the Kite Museum houses a wonderful collection of kites.

While the City Museum talks about the various cross-cultural identities of Ahmedabad and Gandhi’s association with the city, the Kite Museum is a rare treat for kite lovers particularly for those who indulged in kite flying as kids. It is therefore no wonder that children really love this museum. Rare kites include a collection of the hexagonal Japanese version of kites called the Rokoku and kites that measure over 20 feet in length.

The museum includes information about the history of kite making as well as some wonderful examples made from paper, nylon, cotton and bamboo.

Varieties range from massive (around 22 by 16 feet) pieces to miniature kites, kites with geometric and animal patterns to those with figures of Nehru and Gandhiji. The highlight of the collection is a kite pieced together with 400 scraps of paper. There are others with intricate paintings on them (including Radha-Krishna and Garba themes), the oldest being around 70 years.

Attractions: 16 feet long kite with depicts of Garba dance, mirror-work kites, block-style kites, Radha-Krishna kites, Japanese kites.

How to get there

By Road: Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. Ahmedabad is well connected with all major cities and towns by road. State and private buses are a great option to travel between smaller towns in the state.

By Train: Major Indian cities are also connected via the Ahmedabad railway station that lies on the western railways network. The main railway station is located in Kalupur area. This station falls under the prominent national railway circuit and is connected to all major cities of India. India’s first bullet train project will be connecting Mumbai to Ahmedabad by December 2023. It will run at a speed of 320 kmph and cover the distance in 3 hours.

By Air: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Ahmedabad connects all major cities in India and key cities abroad to the state.