In the 1940s, Calico, a textile manufacturer in Ahmedabad, began collecting traditional Indian textiles from across India to educate contemporary textile designers about the richness of India’s cultural heritage. The collection was displayed in a factory warehouse. In 1949, the Calico Museum of Textiles was opened to the public by Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. The museum, housed in a sprawling haveli (mansion) with inlaid marble floors and a picturesque garden, has also opened new galleries with collections of Jaina artefacts, miniature paintings and jewellery.