ASMITAA
Across countless homes in India lie cherished textiles - gifted, inherited, repaired, worn, and passed down through generations - now carefully folded away in wardrobes and trunks. Within every fold lies a story waiting to be heard: the story of its making and the story of the lives woven into it. Yet while these textiles endure, the stories they carry are often forgotten.
ASMITAA was created to preserve both.
The name ASMITAA, meaning pride and self-respect, is also an acronym for ‘A Stage for the Manifestation of Indian Textile Arts & Artefacts.’ It reflects our belief that preserving cherished textiles is, ultimately, an act of preserving identity, memory, and cultural heritage
OUR AREAS OF WORK
ASMITAA is an independent initiative dedicated to documenting, researching, preserving, and sharing India's textile heritage through archival documentation, preventive conservation, material culture research, and storytelling.
Every textile is carefully documented - not only for its craftsmanship, materials, techniques, and provenance, but also for the people who cherished it, the occasions it was part of, and the memories it holds. By preserving the object together with its narrative, ASMITAA ensures that neither is forgotten.
Through exhibitions, publications, workshops, digital archives, and collaborative research, we make these collections accessible to families, students, researchers, museums, and textile enthusiasts, ensuring that their stories continue to educate, inspire, and endure for generations to come. At ASMITAA we:
DOCUMENT
Archival documentation, photography, provenance, and oral histories.
PRESERVE
Preventive care, storage solutions, conservation guidance.
SHARE
Exhibitions, publications, digital archives, storytelling, knowledge exchange.
ADVISE
Collection management, archival planning, and preservation consultancy.
Learn more about ASMITAA Foundation here
ASMITAA FOUNDATION
The ASMITAA Foundation was established with a long-term vision: to create dedicated homes across every Indian state devoted to the care, preservation, research, and interpretation of cherished textiles, while fostering public engagement with India’s textile heritage.
These spaces will serve as living centres of memory, bringing together families, communities, researchers, and future generations to reconnect with the stories woven into India's textile heritage.
Meet the people behind ASMITAA