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KHAMBHAT · AGATE · STONE CRAFTAgate Artistry
Ancient stones, skilled hands — Khambhat in Anand district has shaped and polished agate and cornelian into beads and ornaments for thousands of years, a craft of remarkable antiquity and skill.
The ancient agate craft of Khambhat
Khambhat (Cambay), the historic port town in Anand district, is one of the oldest centres of agate and cornelian craft in the world — a tradition of cutting, shaping and polishing semi-precious stones that stretches back thousands of years. Agate from the region (and the nearby Rajpipla hills) has been worked at Khambhat since antiquity; carnelian beads made here have been found at Harappan sites and were traded across the ancient world. To this day, artisans heat, chip, grind and polish the raw stone into beads, pendants, bowls, figurines and ornaments of glowing colour — a craft that demands great skill and patience, passed down through generations. Khambhat was once a great medieval port, and its stone craft was a prized export. Though the harbour has silted up, the agate artistry endures as a living heritage, and the town’s workshops remain a fascinating place to see the stones transformed. For the visitor, Khambhat’s agate craft is a window into a craft of extraordinary antiquity — best experienced by visiting the workshops and seeing (and buying) the finished stones. (The agate and cornelian craft of Khambhat; workshops to visit and buy from; a craft of ancient lineage.)
Khambhat agate craft. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
A craft of ancient lineage
Khambhat agate. Wikimedia Commons.
Agate and carnelian have been worked in this part of Gujarat since Harappan times — bead workshops have been excavated at Lothal and Dholavira.
Khambhat, then Cambay, was one of the great harbours of the medieval Indian Ocean, and the bead trade went out through it.
Its beads reached Mesopotamia, Rome, East Africa and South East Asia, and turn up in excavations across all of them.
The craft is still practised in Khambhat today, in workshops using techniques recognisably continuous with the ancient ones.
Why come
Agate
Agate is banded and translucent, and holding a finished piece to the light is what sells it — the colour runs right through the stone.
Ancient
This is one of the oldest continuously practised crafts anywhere in India, running back more than four thousand years.
Skill
Rough nodules are heated to bring up the colour, then chipped, ground and polished by hand in stages.
Beads
Beads, pendants, bowls, figurines and set ornaments all come out of the same workshops.
Khambhat
Khambhat's decline as a port — the gulf silted up — did not take the bead craft with it.
Buy direct
Buying at the workshop rather than a city showroom gets you a better price and puts the money with the maker.
What to see
THE CRAFTKhambhat
The old port town where the agate craft is still worked.
ANANDAnand district
The Charotar plain and the Gulf of Khambhat coast around it.
How it's celebrated
Visit the workshops
Watch the stone being worked — the chipping, grinding and polishing are all still done by hand.
Watch the polishing
Hold a finished piece up to the light to see the banding, which is the whole point of agate.
Learn the antiquity
Take in the lineage. The technique here descends directly from Harappan bead-making four thousand years ago.
See the beads
Look at the range beyond beads — bowls, figurines and set ornaments all come from these workshops.
Buy direct
Buy from the artisans directly, which is cheaper and fairer than buying the same pieces in Ahmedabad.
Explore Khambhat
Walk the old port town while you are there; Khambhat's Jami Masjid and old quarter are worth the time.
Khambhat agate. Wikimedia Commons.
An ancient stone craft
Khambhat (Cambay) in Anand district has cut and polished agate and cornelian for thousands of years — carnelian beads made here reached Harappan sites and the ancient world. Artisans still heat, chip and polish the raw stone into beads, ornaments and figurines of glowing colour, a living craft of extraordinary antiquity at the historic port town. (The agate and cornelian craft of Khambhat; workshops to visit and buy from; a craft of ancient lineage.)
More places to visit across the district are gathered in our Anand travel guide.
Khambhat’s agate and cornelian stone craft
A tradition stretching back to Harappan times
Beads, ornaments and figurines of glowing colour
A living heritage of the historic port town
Timing
October to March is the comfortable season for Khambhat and the Charotar plain around it.
The workshops run year-round and are indoors, so the season affects the journey more than the visit.
April to June is hot on this coast; go early in the day and keep the walking short.
⏰ Workshops are a year-round draw; pleasant in the cooler months.
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara / Ahmedabad.
By Rail
Anand Junction.
By Road
On NH; central Gujarat.
More in Anand
WHITE REVOLUTION
The Amul Spirit
A cooperative that empowered millions of farmers. Explore →
LEGACY
Sardar Patel
The Iron Man’s homeland — the Charotar region around Anand, especially Karamsad, shaped Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the statesman who united India, and the area honours his towering legacy. Explore →
14 JAN
Uttarayan
Kites over the Charotar — on Uttarayan, the towns and villages of Anand take to their rooftops and fill the winter sky with kites, joining Gujarat’s great mid-January festival. Explore →
FOLK
Bhavai Theatre
Gujarat’s folk stage — Bhavai is the centuries-old folk theatre of the region, a vivid blend of drama, music, dance and biting social satire performed through the night under the open sky. Explore →
What to eat
DAIRYAmul treats
Milk, butter, ice-cream.
THALICharotari Thali
Hearty Gujarati fare.
FARSANFarsan
Snacks & sweets.
CHAASChaas
Spiced buttermilk.
Agate Artistry FAQ
What is Khambhat known for?
Its agate and carnelian craft. Khambhat has been cutting and polishing these stones for millennia, and its beads were traded across the ancient world.
How old is the craft?
It goes back to Harappan times — more than four thousand years — and bead workshops of that period have been excavated at Lothal and Dholavira, both in Gujarat.
What is made?
Beads above all, but also pendants, bowls, figurines, inlay and set ornaments. The rough stone is heated to bring up the colour before it is chipped, ground and polished by hand.
Where is Khambhat?
A historic port town on the Gulf of Khambhat in Anand district, about two hours from Ahmedabad and easily combined with Lothal.
Can I buy the stones?
Yes, and it is the best way to do it. Buying at the workshops gets you a fairer price than a city showroom and puts the money with the people who made the piece.
Why is it special?
Because Khambhat beads have been found in excavations from Mesopotamia to East Africa, and the craft that produced them is still being practised in the same town today. Very few living crafts anywhere can claim that.
Across Gujarat
ISLANDPirotan Island
Coral reefs & mangroves in the Gulf
HERITAGEKheda Satyagraha Memorial
Site of Gandhi’s 1918 farmer revolt
FORESTPolo Forest
A jungle valley of ruined medieval temples
TOWNBodeli
A bustling market town of the belt
CRAFTPatola Looms
Months of work in a single ikat sari
Shoolpaneshwar Temple
A forest Shiva shrine that named the sanctuary
WHERE TO STAY
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Published 24 June 2026 · Updated 3 July 2026