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West India · State

Gujarat

From Harappan Dholavira to the white salt desert of Kutch and the last wild Asiatic lions, Gujarat combines deep archaeology with one of India's richest textile traditions.

Capital
Gandhinagar
Languages
Gujarati (official); Hindi; Kutchi — major and official languages, not an exclusive list.

Cultural traditions, arts & crafts

  • Patan patola — double-ikat silk woven by a handful of families
  • Kutch embroidery, bandhani tie-dye and Rogan painting
  • Garba and dandiya raas performed through Navratri
  • Stepwell and temple stone carving, as at Rani ki Vav

Major festivals

  • NavratriSeptember–October (dates vary — verify current dates)
  • International Kite Festival (Uttarayan)14 January
  • Rann UtsavNovember–February (dates vary — verify current dates)
Open the festival calendar for Gujarat

Traditional dress & textiles

Dress varies by community, district, occasion and generation; everyday clothing today is often contemporary. These are representative traditions rather than a single state costume.

  • Chaniya choli with an odhani is widely worn for garba nights
  • Bandhani and patola textiles are used for saris, odhanis and turbans
  • Men wear kediyu (a gathered jacket) with churidar in Kutch and Saurashtra; kurta-pyjama elsewhere

Where to go

Show Gujarat on the explore map

Sources & verify

Last reviewed: August 2026. Cultural traditions in India vary by community, district, occasion and generation. The notes below are representative examples reviewed against government sources, not exhaustive or official definitions. Festival timings follow lunar or locally announced calendars — verify current dates with the relevant state tourism department before travelling.