Charkha Museum

New Delhi


This tiny new museum in the heart of the city is unmistakable for its large, stainless steel spinning wheel, an iconic symbol of Mahatma Gandhi and his call to support homespun Indian fabrics over British colonial imports. Inside is a collection of antique charkhas (spinning wheels), each donated by Indian citizens and dating from 1912 to 1977. Your ticket includes a homespun souvenir plait.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby New Delhi attractions

1. Madame Tussauds

0.04 MILES

A first for the subcontinent, Madame Tussauds 23rd waxwork museum is housed in the erstwhile Regal Theatre, now refurbished to provide a stage for more…

2. Hanuman Temple

0.16 MILES

This popular Hindu temple is dedicated to the much-revered god Hanuman, sometimes referred to as the Monkey God. It throngs with devotees on Tuesdays and…

3. Connaught Place

0.18 MILES

This confusing circular shopping district was named after George V’s uncle, the Duke of Connaught, and fashioned after the Palladian colonnades of Bath…

4. Jantar Mantar

0.32 MILES

This is one of five observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh II, ruler of Jaipur. Constructed in 1725, Jantar Mantar (derived from the Sanskrit word for …

5. Agrasen ki Baoli

0.6 MILES

This atmospheric 14th-century step-well was once set in the countryside, till the city grew up around it; 103 steps descend to the bottom, flanked by…

6. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

0.63 MILES

This magnificent white-marble gurdwara (Sikh temple), topped by glinting golden onion domes, was constructed at the site where the eighth Sikh guru,…

7. National Philatelic Museum

0.63 MILES

Housed in an annex of this branch of India Post, the National Philatelic Museum displays sets of stamps featuring the gamut of Indian life, from…

8. Ramakrishna Mission

0.68 MILES

Amid the chaos of Paharganj, the temple that gives the metro station here its name is a wonderfully calming escape, with a landscaped garden leading to a…