Charkha Museum — Attraction in New Delhi

Charkha is a spinning wheel and the Charkha Museum in Delhi has on display an interesting collection of 14 charkhas dating between 1912 and 1977.

These Charkhas were donated by people are displayed in a long hall, neatly labeled indicating the donor's name and the date of manufacture.

The museum is also dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi who was a strong advocate of Charkha and used it as a symbol of self-rule and self-reliance during his struggle against the British Raj in India. The Charkha was used by Gandhi Ji as an important tool for the national rejuvenation of India during the freedom struggle.

There are also two steel sculptures outside the main hall that are very interesting. One is a lion made up of charkha wheels, though gear wheels are used. This Make in India structure looks magnificent

The other is a huge sculpture of a Charkha

The huge Charkha has become a landmark within just a few days of its inauguration

The museum is housed in the garden area in the middle of Connaught Place and is not very large. I could see all the exhibits in under 30 minutes. The entrance fee for the museum is INR 20 which is basically pocket change, so plus one star for that.

Along with the ticket they also gave me a cotton handloom handkerchief and alternatively I could choose a tricolor cotton band which could be wrapped on the wrist. It looked quite cool but I opted for the Khadi or handspun handkerchief. I loved this gesture very much that will serve as a souvenir.

Near the entrance of the museum is an information center and also a souvenir shop.

It was a nice experience and this museum stands out from the other 51 museums in Delhi. Since the museum is located at a natural elevation right in the middle of Connaught Place giving a bird's eye view of the entire area

How Reach

Take the Delhi Metro Yellow, Red, or the Blue line, all of which pass through Cannought Place.

I visited the place on my bike and parked in the Palika underground p[arking for INR 10 per hour.

Accessibility Features

The Information Center and the Souvenir shop are accessible for a wheelchair via a leveled floor from the main road. There is also a tactile path from the Metro Station exit all the way to the entrance of the museum The main museum building however has stairs with no ramp or railing making it a bad example of accessibility at such a...

For every entry ticket to National Charkha Museum, New Delhi, a Khadi Soot Mala is given free. The 20 rupees entry fee provides support to artisanal families besides the women inmates of Tihar Jail who make the khadi soot mala.

KVIC plans to turn the corpus secured from the sale of these tickets into a Trust for the welfare of economically backward artisanal families. From May 21, 2017 till January 31, 2018, the ticket sales have fetched over Rs. 20 lakhs.

The Khadi Soot mala is made of wasted material drawn from KVIC's Central Sliver Plant at Hazipur, Patna and the final product is being made by women in Delhi and other parts of the country.

KVIC Chairman VK Saxena explained the socio-economic perspective behind this soot malas where it has brought about positive changes in the lives of artisans and have provided direct employment to 45 women.

The Charkha Museum depicts the history and evolution of Charkha, from a humble instrument to a symbol of Nationalism, freedom movement, and empowerment of the individual citizen by weaving Swadeshi cloth. The Museum showcases 14 vintage Charkha models and demonstrates the journey from "kapaas" to yarn to khadi cloth. The Museum also showcases the charkha used by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ludhiana where he distributed 500 charkhas to the women of Punjab in 2016.

National Museum of Charkha was inaugurated in May 2017. This Museum is a window to the great heritage of Indian Charkha, embodying the philosophy of self-reliance. NDMC in collaboration with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has installed a 26-feet-long (about 8 meters) Charkha. It is 13 feet (about 4 meters) high and weighs around 5 tonnes. This charkha, the biggest in the world, is made of high quality stainless steel and is installed over an open platform area of 9 meter (about 30 feet) long and 6 meters wide. It is built in such a way to withstand all weather conditions. This celebrates the continued importance of Charkha as a symbol of...

My visit to Charkha Park or Museum in Connaught Place with my family on 20th August, 2022 was a thrilling and joyous experience. The place is centrally located and well connected with metro as well as by road. The site has spacious lush green lawns well maintained by N.D.M.C. The greenery around is a treat for eyes and has a soothing effect on one's mind. The big statue of Gandhiji and Charkha on entering the venue reminds us of our rich heritage and legacy in 75th year of Indian Independence being celebrated as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The place often hosts different kinds of events. Food festival has been organised from 19th August, 2022 to 21st August, 2022. Though the cost of entrance ticket is Rs 20 on the other days it is free during the food festival. This festival has brought together under one roof different players in the industry showcasing and selling their delicacies to the visitors thronging the place from different parts of city. Many stalls have been put up selling different food items ranging from North Indian Amritsary Naan, Missi Roti and Saag to stall put up by renowned South Indian group Sarvan selling South Indian Sambar Vadas, Rasam and many other items. There have been stalls put up by big reputed brands like Haldi Ram and Khandani Pakoda Wala selling chaat and different kinds of delicious pakodas. The special attraction of the festival is the food items prepared in the utensils of mud or clay. The tea and coffee offered in kulhads made of mud and food items prepared and served in these kinds of utensils of mud have been the biggest draw. The music and dance performed in the background by the artists adds charm to the experience. The place has a record of holding such...