Gira established and curated the Calico Museum of Textiles which houses a historic collection of Indian Fabrics.

[4] By the early fifties the museum discovered its original intent, encompassed too large an area and concentrated its energies on the vast and vital field of handicraft textiles, devoting less and less time to industrial fabrics.

[citation needed] Inaugurating the museum in 1949, Jawaharlal Nehru stated, "The early beginnings of civilization are tied up with the manufacture of textiles, and history might well be written with this as the leading motif."

[citation needed] The museum's publications, which have now taken two distinct directions, give some indication of where the next surge of activity will take place.

The relative humidity inside the museum is also controlled and lights are dimmed between visiting hours to extend the life of the textiles.