John Mahal

The Mardana rooms are built around a spacious garden court ringed on three sides by spectacular arcade halls. These had never been completed and large rocks had to be hand-chiselled to create linear living spaces. The thick walls were pierced to make balconies with views of the countryside. Each room has two or three square rooms linked with wide arches and the facilities are discreetly tucked within.

This long room of three square spaces linked with two wide arches honours the painter John Bissell who came to India with the US peace corps and stayed on to father Fabindia, the best-known retail chain which takes handloom to the urban homes and wardrobes.