Though Gira means power of speech in Gujarati, Giraben let her work do the speaking – as institution builder, collector, and caretaker of objects, buildings, histories, legacies, and human values for future generations.

The passing of Gira Sarabhai, at the age of 98, is an enormous loss not only to her family and friends, but also to the city of Ahmedabad, and our nation. She was the youngest and the last of a generation of Sarabhai siblings – including Vikram Sarabhai and Mridula Sarabhai, among others – who played an outstanding role in the shaping of modern India.

Her father, Ambalal Sarabhai, a pioneer among textile mill owners, was one of the earliest supporters of Mahatma Gandhi when he set up his ashram in Ahmedabad on his return from South Africa. Giraben and her brother Gautam ran Calico Mills and other Sarabhai enterprises, but also founded the Calico Museum of Textiles, a gem among museums anywhere in the world; and the National Institute of Design (NID), the alma mater of so many of India’s artists, designers and creative thinkers of prominence today...

The Wire. Gira Sarabhai (1923-2021): A Deliberate Life