Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum

Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum The Museum campus houses the heritage building with a thousand years of Indian art, the Indigo Art Museum and Modern galleries for art exhibitions.

Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum is housed in a colonial building showcasing over a thousand years of Indian art.The Claude Batley house, a space for exhibiting Modern and Contemporary art

Did you know that the museum houses rare watercolour cubist studies by Gaganendranath Tagore?Among the earliest Indian a...
10/04/2026

Did you know that the museum houses rare watercolour cubist studies by Gaganendranath Tagore?
Among the earliest Indian artists to explore Cubism, Gaganendranath developed a unique style that blended cubist forms with the softness of watercolour and Japanese wash techniques. Displayed here as album pages, these works offer a rare insight into the mind of an artist experimenting with modernism in early twentieth-century India.

To view these in person, contact +91 9104060850 to book a guided tour.

PC : Dinesh Mehta

Did you know that artists of the Bengal Art School sent hand-painted postcards to their teachers?Between 1913 and 1940, ...
04/04/2026

Did you know that artists of the Bengal Art School sent hand-painted postcards to their teachers?
Between 1913 and 1940, students sent these postcards to masters such as Abanindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, and Nandalal Bose. Filled with sketches of daily life, historic sites, landscapes, and even murals from the Ajanta caves, these postcards offer a rare glimpse into the artistic journeys of young artists across India.
These postcards are displayed in specially designed cases with mirrored backs, allowing visitors to view both the front and the back of the postcards.

To view these in person, contact +91 9104060850 to book a guided tour.

PC : Dinesh Mehta.

Did you know that at the heart of the Claude Batley building lies a courtyard and other elements of the original archite...
30/03/2026

Did you know that at the heart of the Claude Batley building lies a courtyard and other elements of the original architecture? These were features that have long been central to traditional Indian homes.

Designed by architect Claude Batley, who played an important role in shaping modern architecture in India, the building responds thoughtfully to climate while drawing from local architectural traditions.

Courtyards were not only sources of light and ventilation, but also active spaces of everyday life, often used for cooking preparations and household activities. As you move through the courtyard today, you can still notice elements of the original architectural vocabulary, like the doors and windows you see here.

The blending of old and new in the restoration is not abrupt, but thoughtful, allowing the building to evolve while holding on to its memory.

PC : Dinesh Mehta & Tina Nandi

Did you know that you can view some of the family’s original furniture at the museum? Much of the furniture on display r...
25/03/2026

Did you know that you can view some of the family’s original furniture at the museum?

Much of the furniture on display reflects an art deco sensibility, a style that emerged in the early twentieth century and came to represent modernity and elegance. Rather than heavy ornamentation, it relies on form and structure, clean lines, geometric clarity, and balanced proportions. The circular mirror and the streamlined edges all point to a design language that valued both function and visual harmony.

Alongside these original furnishings, new pieces have been carefully crafted to complement the existing aesthetic. They echo the same simplicity of form and material, allowing the space to retain its character while adapting to the display needs of the museum.

Together, the old and the new create a continuity, offering a glimpse into how design evolves without losing its identity.

Pc : Dinesh Mehta & Rajesh Vora

Did you know that you can view portraits of Mughal emperors and nobles at the museum?Mughal painting, which developed un...
18/03/2026

Did you know that you can view portraits of Mughal emperors and nobles at the museum?

Mughal painting, which developed under imperial patronage from the sixteenth century onwards, brought together Indian and Persian artistic traditions to create a distinct visual language. At the same time, painting traditions in the Deccan, shaped by diverse political, cultural, and trade influences, evolved with their own distinctive aesthetic.

The museum collection includes portraits of emperors such as Jahangir, Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb, and Muhammad Shah, along with nobles like Itmad-ud-daulah. These works reflect the refined aesthetics of courtly portraiture, where careful attention to profile, costume, and attributes articulated identity, status, and authority.

Some artworks from the 17th & 18th century on view in this room of the museum include:
• Portrait of Jahangir, Mughal court artist, khakha (tinted line drawing) on vasli.
• Shah Jahan, Mughal court artist, gouache on vasli.
• Aurangzeb Reading the Quran on a Barge.
• Emperor Muhammad Shah Carried in a Palanquin, Mughal court artist, gouache on vasli.
• Portrait of Itmad-ud-daulah, Mughal court artist, vasli on paper.

To book a guided tour, please send us a message on +91 9104060850.

Pc : Museum Collection & Dinesh Mehta.

Get to Know the Museum. Did you know that the Lalbhai residence underwent a careful restoration led by architect Rahul M...
12/03/2026

Get to Know the Museum.

Did you know that the Lalbhai residence underwent a careful restoration led by architect Rahul Mehrotra before it became the museum we know today?

The process began with detailed measurements and records of the house, followed by restoration using locally available materials. The work continued by integrating the existing palette of materials so that new additions blended seamlessly with the historic structure.

Finally, subtle interventions introduced elements designed for contemporary use, including the glass gallery.

Pc : Dinesh Mehta


Get to Know the MuseumDid you know that the museum’s third gallery complex was a later addition to the historic structur...
07/03/2026

Get to Know the Museum
Did you know that the museum’s third gallery complex was a later addition to the historic structure?
Conceptualised and realised by Rahul Mehrotra Associates, the gallery complex, known as the Modern Galleries, comprises two subterranean spaces. Designed to function alongside the heritage building, these galleries host exhibitions, talks, and workshops.

Located below ground, the intervention expands the museum’s exhibition capacity while remaining architecturally subtle, ensuring that the historic structure continues to retain visual and spatial prominence.

PC: Rajesh Vora.


Get to Know the MuseumDid you know that the museum’s collection includes portraits of members of the Lalbhai family?The ...
02/03/2026

Get to Know the Museum

Did you know that the museum’s collection includes portraits of members of the Lalbhai family?

The portraits of Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai and his wife, Shrimati Tarlaben Lalbhhai, painted by Walter Langhammer, can be viewed in the Introduction Room. Langhammer, an Austrian artist who came to India before the Second World War while fleeing the N**i regime, played a significant role in shaping modern art discourse in India.

In 1936, Sir Francis Low, then editor of The Times of India, appointed him as the newspaper’s first art director. Settling in Bombay, Langhammer opened his studio on Nepean Sea Road to young Indian artists, many of whom would later become leading figures of the Progressive Artists’ movement.

These portraits are not only representations of the Lalbhai family but also markers of a larger cultural moment. They reflect the artistic exchanges that informed the early development of modern Indian art.

We invite you to experience the exhibition at the Indigo Art Museum within the premise of Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum.An O...
24/02/2026

We invite you to experience the exhibition at the Indigo Art Museum within the premise of Kasturbhai Lalbhai Museum.

An Ocean in a Drop. A journey of process and pigment, where co-creation ignites material inquiry, revealing the weight and wonder of an ocean.

The exhibition opened on February 21, 2026, and features exploration and discovery through collaboration at Indigo Art Museum.

Join us as we unpack meditative processes that carry indigo’s narratives, drop by boundless drop.
📅 21 February to 30 April 2026
📍 Indigo Art Museum, Ahmedabad
⏰ 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (except Mondays)

We are back with a ‘Get to Know the Museum’ series, sharing facts and archival insights about the museum.The colonial-st...
24/02/2026

We are back with a ‘Get to Know the Museum’ series, sharing facts and archival insights about the museum.

The colonial-style building that houses the museum was originally the residence of the Lalbhai family. Built in 1905 under the supervision of Shri Lalbhai Dalpatbhai, the house, known as Lalbaug, served as the home of the extended Lalbhai family for several decades. It functioned as the central site of family life, hosting gatherings, discussions, and significant milestones.

The Lalbhai family continued to reside here until 1997.Today, the building stands as a museum, retaining the essence of the home while carrying forward its layered history into the public realm.

PC: Dinesh Mehta

GetToKnowTheMuseum

As we bid farewell to The Splendour of Dorukha & Chand-dar from the TAPI Collection, we do so with deep gratitude.These ...
10/02/2026

As we bid farewell to The Splendour of Dorukha & Chand-dar from the TAPI Collection, we do so with deep gratitude.

These shawls offered more than visual beauty. They opened conversations around craft, labour, and living traditions. We thank all the facilitators and practitioners who conducted workshops during the exhibition, generously sharing their knowledge and skill, and enriching our engagement with these textiles.

As the exhibition concludes, the shawls move on, but the learning and connections remain. Thank you to everyone who joined us on this journey.

Thanks to collectionshakyamzalak








As the closing feature of The Splendour of Dorukha & Chand-dar from the TAPI Collection, we turn our gaze to what lies b...
05/02/2026

As the closing feature of The Splendour of Dorukha & Chand-dar from the TAPI Collection, we turn our gaze to what lies behind the shawl.

A Kashmir shawl is never the work of one hand. It carries an entire constellation of lives. From the Changpa pastoralists who gather the soft down of Himalayan goats in high-altitude Ladakh, to the women who patiently clean, spin, and prepare the yarn. From dyers who bring colour to life, to designers and weavers who translate patterns into cloth, and artisans who wash, finish, and refine the surface until it gleams.

Each stage is shaped by skill, time, and care passed down through generations. These shawls are not merely textiles but the result of many journeys, many hands, and a shared heritage of making.

From fleece to finish, this is the living story woven into every Kashmir shawl.

Text & PC: .collection

Address

Lalbaug, Shahibaug
Ahmedabad
380004

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

07922865456

Website

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