India’s first mall dedicated to crafts, textiles and homegrown brands is The Kunj, located in Vasant Kunj, Delhi. Inaugurated by the Ministry of Textiles, The Kunj is a unique retail and cultural destination designed to celebrate and promote India’s rich heritage of handicrafts and handlooms.
Unlike traditional markets or exhibitions, it is a permanent space that aims to elevate Indian craftsmanship to a luxury level, providing artisans with a contemporary and dignified platform to showcase their work. While it is a retail destination, its core philosophy is kala aasvadan or art appreciation. It’s designed as a space where visitors can pause and appreciate the stories and skills behind the creations, rather than just focusing on sales.
The mall hosts curated exhibitions, like Gandhi Virasat —
Kagazkala, which highlight specific craft forms or themes. A key feature is this gallery space that showcases over 100 masterpieces by national awardees, Shilp Gurus and master artisans. It’s a place to see and even purchase high-end, award-winning pieces. Here, you can find everything from handlooms like pashmina and ikat to a variety of handicrafts such as madhubani, pichwai and pattachitra paintings.
At Kala Manch, master artisans provide live demonstrations of their crafts, such as the sanjhi paper-cutting craft, which allows visitors to witness artisans at work and Kalp Kosh hands-on experience for visitors to engage with the crafts.