16. La forêt sacrée

There are a great many sacred forests in India, protected by rural communities for generations. Each state has its own name for them: Devrai, Devban, Kavu, Devbani, Gumpa, Sarna, etc. These patches of virgin forest contain several hectares of trees and concentrate a rich biodiversity of plants, fruits, flowering branches and watercourses. Considered to be the homes of deities, such areas are held in high religious esteem and act as venues for age-old traditional rituals.

They are also a means of subsistence for local populations, who, mindful of the land’s capacities for renewal, only take the surplus it may provide – a genuinely resilient practice. In this garden, a sacred forest opens onto a temple pool overlooked by carved stone bench, an invitation to sit and meditate a while. You can contemplate nature here whatever the time of day, and discover what she has to offer us, no more and no less.

DESIGNERS

Noopur Sejpal is a landscape architect, and is the founding partner at Sejpal and Parekh Associates. She received her Bachelor in Architecture from Kamla Raheja Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies - KRVIA, Mumbai (2014). She gained professional experience at SPASM Design Architects for 2 years as a project architect to various architecture and interior jobs in the office. She gained a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from L.S Raheja, Mumbai. She is a member of Indian Society of Landscape Architects (ISOLA), and also holds a Diploma in Horticulture. She is currently a visiting faculty in Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture, Mumbai, for the subject of Landscape Architecture. Being deeply passionate in subjects of Ecology, Resource Management and Horticulture, she strives to bring the balance in the discipline by always attempting to give back and build sensitively.

Zubin Parekh is an architect, and is the founding partner at Sejpal and Parekh Associates. He received his Bachelor in Architecture from Kamla Raheja Institute of Architecture and Environmental Studies - KRVIA, Mumbai (2014). He gained professional experience at Ranjit Sinh Associates for 4 years, after which he continues to work collaboratively on projects at various scales as a partner. Further, he has a Diploma in Quantity Surveying and Contract Management, from NICMAR. His expertise ranges from project detailing and project management, while overlooking the execution jobs for the firm.

Khushi Jalan is an architect – and is currently working as a Junior Architect at Sejpal and Parekh Associates, Mumbai. She received her Bachelor in Architecture from Smt. K.L. Tiwari College of Architecture - SKLTCOA, Mumbai (2022). She is always looking for new things to learn and experience new cultures and languages, through the lens of landscape architecture. Landscape Architecture, Project management, and Conservation are her major interests. She believes in the process of bringing harmony and unity in nature while preserving its identity.