Hiralaxmi Craft Park

Brief History

A key shopping centre for more than 4000 visitors in a day, Hiralaxmi is spread over 10 acres and is located close to Bhuj. It is a sprawling exhibition ground of craft shops from Kutch that gets thousands of footfalls of tourists, especially in the winters. The complex is headlined by the Vande Mataram Memorial that commemorates India’s freedom struggle and also includes large gardens and a Gandhi Memorial inside the premises. The complex lies about 10 km east of Bhuj city.

The Hiralaxmi Craft Park opened its doors on December 18, 2005. It is the brainchild of Chetan Shah, Managing Director of Ashapura Group. The idea came about when a delegation of rural artisans was invited to the Ashapura guesthouse to demonstrate their craft. After his discussions with artisans, Shah realised that many of these valuable arts were breathing their last. Lack of an organised forum to exhibit, financial support and avenues to showcase their work was slowly choking the crafts of Kutch. Shah conceived the idea of Hiralaxmi Craft Park to support artisans and give them an atmospheric place to show their craft skills and earn a stable livelihood.