Pampa Textiles of Karnataka: NGMA Bengaluru shows 150 works till December 15
By Simran KaurFashion Writer, Peepals Shakti
Representative image: Fritz_the_Cat / Pixabay
Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka, curated by Lavina Baldota, is on at NGMA Bengaluru until December 15 with more than 150 textiles, artworks and installations.
What Happened
Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka, an exhibition of the state's handmade textile traditions, is on view at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Bengaluru until Tuesday, 15 December 2026. It opened on Sunday, 1 November, Karnataka Rajyotsava, the state's formation day, and was inaugurated by Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Curated by Lavina Baldota and presented by NGMA Bengaluru with the Abheraj Baldota Foundation, the show brings together more than 150 textiles, artworks and installations.
Key Facts
- Venue: NGMA Bengaluru, Manikyavelu Mansion.
- Dates: 1 November to 15 December 2026; open 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays and public holidays.
- Size: more than 150 exhibits, including saris, apparel, accessories, furnishings, artworks and installations.
- Span: from 18th-century textiles and artefacts to present-day practice.
- Curator: Lavina Baldota; organised with the Abheraj Baldota Foundation, which reports say is marking its 50th anniversary, along with the Ministry of Culture and NGMA.
- Highlight: a revived traditional Molakalmuru sari, recreated using the jala loom technique, according to reports.
- The exhibition was first shown in Hampi in March 2025.
Why It Matters
Most fashion news is about labels and launches. Pampa looks at the older layer under them: the weaving, dyeing and embroidery traditions of one state, laid out as a single story from historical pieces to the work of living weavers and designers. For anyone interested in Indian fashion, it is a chance to see in one place the textiles that designers borrow from, and the techniques that are at risk when demand for handwoven cloth falls.
The revived Molakalmuru sari is a good example of what such exhibitions can do. Recreating an old sari with a traditional loom technique such as the jala is slow, skilled work, and it keeps alive knowledge that would otherwise survive only in museum pieces. Showing the result in a national gallery, rather than only in a shop, gives the craft and its makers recognition that sales alone rarely bring.
The exhibition also places a woman curator at the centre of a large public show on craft. Lavina Baldota first built Pampa in Hampi in March 2025, and taking it to a national gallery in the state capital widens its audience from heritage tourists to the city's students, designers and families. Its opening on Rajyotsava ties it to Karnataka's own celebration of its identity.
Peepals calculation: From 1 November to 15 December is 45 days counting both ends (30 days of November plus 15 of December). Seven of those days are Mondays (2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 November; 7 and 14 December), when the gallery is closed, so visitors have at most 38 days to see the show, fewer if public holidays fall in that period. At 10 am to 6 pm, that is eight hours a day, or up to 304 hours in all (38 × 8). Our calculation from the reported figures.
| Detail | What the reports say |
|---|---|
| Opened | Sunday, 1 November 2026 (Karnataka Rajyotsava) |
| Closes | Tuesday, 15 December 2026 |
| Timings | 10 am to 6 pm; closed Mondays and public holidays |
| Exhibits | More than 150 textiles, artworks and installations |
| First shown | Hampi, March 2025 |
Impact
Short-term: Visitors in Bengaluru, including design and fashion students, can see historical Karnataka textiles alongside contemporary work over the next six weeks,.
Long-term: Shows like this help build a record of regional textile traditions and can lift interest, and demand, for the handloom clusters behind them.
Who is affected: Weavers and craft communities of Karnataka, fashion and textile students, designers who work with handloom, and visitors to NGMA Bengaluru.
What to watch next: The exhibition closes on 15 December 2026.
Key Takeaway
Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka brings more than 150 works on the state's weaving heritage to NGMA Bengaluru until 15 December, including a Molakalmuru sari revived on a traditional jala loom.
Questions and Answers
Where is the Pampa Textiles of Karnataka exhibition being held?
At the National Gallery of Modern Art, Manikyavelu Mansion, in Bengaluru.
Until when can I see Pampa: Textiles of Karnataka?
It is open until 15 December 2026, from 10 am to 6 pm, except on Mondays and public holidays.
Who curated the exhibition?
Lavina Baldota curated it, and it is presented by NGMA Bengaluru with the Abheraj Baldota Foundation. It was first shown in Hampi in March 2025.
What will visitors see?
More than 150 textiles, artworks and installations, from 18th-century pieces to contemporary work, including saris, apparel, furnishings and a revived Molakalmuru sari.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Simran Kaur, Fashion WriterCovers Fashion and more for Peepals Shakti. All stories by Simran Kaur
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Simran Kaur is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
