Dhalgarwad Market, Ahmedabad: The Fabric Market and Its History

If you are having something stitched, Dhalgarwad is where Ahmedabad buys the cloth. More than five hundred shops sell dress material, sarees, cotton and silk by the metre, bandhani, bed linen and towels, a few minutes' walk from Bhadra Plaza.

Dhalgarwad market history

The name goes back to the 16th century, when this was where shields, dhal, were made. By the 20th century, when Ahmedabad's cotton mills had made it the Manchester of the East, Dhalgarwad was a residential area of mill workers' families.

The market began with women. While their husbands worked in the mills, wives turned fabric pieces into clothes and household linen and sold them from home; the trade did well enough that, the story goes, some earned more than their husbands. Men joined in, the homes became shops, and Dhalgarwad grew into one of the biggest textile markets in Gujarat. Most of the shops are run by men now, but the market owes its existence to those women.

What to buy in Dhalgarwad market

• Dress material and unstitched suit sets.
• Cotton and silk by the metre: cotton is the favourite in Ahmedabad's heat.
• Bandhani, patola-style and zari fabrics.
• Sarees and blouse pieces.
• Bed sheets, towels and household linen.

Dhalgarwad shopping tips

• Go in daytime and compare two or three shops before you buy.
• Know your yardage before you go: ask your tailor how much the outfit needs, and buy a little extra.
• Check colour in daylight at the shop front, and ask if the fabric is pre-washed or will shrink.
• Prices are negotiable, especially for larger quantities.

Getting your fabric stitched

Bring your Dhalgarwad fabric to Haggler Studio in Shela and we will stitch it to your measurements, from blouses and kurtis to a full chaniya choli. For the city's other markets, see Best Clothing Markets in Ahmedabad.