Gujarat has a very rich heritage of art & crafts. The excavations at the Harappan sites in Gujarat at Lothal, Rangpur, Rozdi etc. have brought to light some of the very ancient handicraft articles.

The Patola of Patan is a unique fabric of Gujarat. This special variety of women's wear is strikingly attractive with its colourful geometrical patterns. This lovely silken fabric, which resembles a printed sari is not an apparel printed by blocks. Its tie and weave method resulting in identical patterns on both sides of the fabric, involving complicated calculations, is entirely based on the geometry of the design. The process consists of dyeing the warp and the weft threads in conformity with the proposed design on the fabric. Hand-woven and silk yarn is used for weaving. The process is both costly and time consuming and the market is limited with the result that the families doing this work are fast dwindling.

The Jari industry of Surat is one of the oldest handicrafts whose origin can be traced to the Mughal period. Surat is one of the biggest and important Jari manufacturing centres in India. The principal types of products are real gold and silver threads, imitation gold and silver threads, embroidery such as the Chalak, the Salama, the Kangari, the Tiki, mainly the Ring and the Katori for motifying in the Kinkhab (cloth of gold) and the Jari border weaving, embroidery, laces, caps, turbans, saris, and blouse pieces.

The Tanchoi or silk brocade is woven on silk cloth is decorated with the designs of birds, animals, leaves, fruits etc. The cloth is used for costly saris, blouses and tapestry. The Kinkhab or the Indian brocade is woven on the silk with gold and silver threads.

Dyeing is a hereditary art. In the past cloth was dyed in colours extracted from trees and flowers. The Sarkhei suburb of Ahmedabad was one of the indigo manufacturing and exporting centres.

The Bandhani, tie and dye variety of sari is a very popular women's wear. It involves an intricate process of tying knots on the fine white fabrics, which are dipped in colours. The hues of deeper shades are used over the previous ones to form the coloured back ground of the cloth.

Cloth printing is a complicated and specialised job. It is done with engraved wooden blocks and with screens. Certain craftsman are doing superbly the work of printing different varieties which are locally called Chundadi, Patola Plain Gala, Lehria, Bandhani, Pomcha, Nagaria and so on. House hold utility and decorative materials such as table-cloths, bed -covers, curtains, tapestries, handbags and carpets are also prepared by this type of printing processes.

Temple curtains popularly known as Mat-no-Chandarvo is another type of printing work. The Vahari-Harijan families of Ahmedabad were engaged in this type of printing. It is prepared in the old madder process and depicts goddess Durga seated on the throne or on the back of a tiger and surrounded by her devotees.