Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Museum during the last half a century has grown into one of the finest museums of Indian Art and Coinage in Gujarat as well as of the country. As the enclosed Time-Line shows, it is an achievement of art connoisseurship and munificence of a few Gujarati individuals, most of whom are related to one industrialist family and inspired by a Jaina Acharya. They were motivated by the urge to preserve the heritage and the desire to inculcate aesthetic sensibility and values among the people of the country in general and citizens of Ahmedabad in particular. Within the principal city of Gujarat, L.D. Museum is like a state museum next only to the very specialized Calico Museum of Textiles. Its foundation was laid with the setting up of Muni Punyavijayaji Collection of predominantly Jaina art (paintings and sculptures) in the new building of the L.D. Institute of Indology in 1963. With the donation of Smt. Madhuri Desai Collection of high quality sculptures ranging from different periods (from 2nd century onwards), the decision was taken by the eminent industrialist Shri Kasturbhai Lalbhai, to construct a new building. The internationally known Ahmedabad based architect, Shri Balkrishna Doshi designed the museum building, which was inaugurated in 1984 with two designated galleries, Smt. Madhuri Desai Gallery, ground floor and Muni Punyavijayaji Gallery, first floor. Initially the coins were displayed as a special temporary exhibition, but since 2004 it constitutes the third gallery. While the display of Kasturbhai Collection of Indian drawings is at the initial stages, the few important bronze pieces of Arvindbhai collection have been incorporated within the Smt. Madhuri D