In the midst of the redesigned Step Well Square – envisioned to become a burgeoning cultural and commercial boulevard with the finest collection of India’s foremost brands, located at the heart of Jodhpur city, stands a two storey Haveli, which houses the new Forest Essentials Store.
The store features two levels, designed and uniquely localized by architect Akshat Bhatt, of Architecture Discipline. Akshat has received many prestigious awards including JK & A+D Young Architect of the Year.
The design of the store has been thoughtfully contextualized to include beautiful Rajasthani Jharokhas overlooking the Tunwarji Ka Jhalra. It also includes a miniature replica of the Tunwarji Ka Jhalra, the historically symbolic step well from an era bygone. The colour palette of the store is an elegant combination of blue and gold, in place of the brand’s characteristic Khaki and Gold, as homage to the enchanting Blue City.
Jodhpur, a stunning remnant of a royal past, deeply embedded in rich tradition, bright colours, evocative scents and a myriad of splendid sounds, captures the true essence of India.
However, the beautiful city is marked with haunting pockets of neglect and debilitation, recognized by three individuals:V Sunil of the Make in India initiative and cofounder of Motherland Joint Ventures with Mohit Dhar Jayal, and Kanwar Dhananajaya Singh whose family has historical links with Jodhpur.
With a sense of urgency to restore such areas of oversight and the beautiful legacy of this thriving city, they have together initiated the JDH Urban Regeneration Project.
The pilot project of this initiative was the aforementioned Tunwarji ka Jhalra- an unused step well, whose beauty had been concealed over the years, under heaps of rubbish and filth laden water. With its water drained, cleaned of rubbish, re oxygenated and its stonework sandblasted, the step well has been restored to its former glory and remains symbolic its surroundings.
A core vision of the philosophy that fuels this project is to marry 18th century architecture with 21st century elements, to create an un-paralleled, visual experience. The project’s ethos of restoration and revival of tradition is congruent with that of Forest Essentials’, which evokes ancient Indian beauty rituals of Ayurveda to combine them with a stylish, modern aesthetic, for the discerning customer of today.