Slow By Design

Nature is the first resident at Anupamaa Mangar, a tranquil retreat sequestered in the foothills of the Aravalli near Delhi

- Ranee Sahaney

A sacred grove, a painterly retreat, a sleepy village in a time warp, tradition and values, and individual talent—put them all together and you’ll discover the contrariness of a designer’s world perspective. Welcome to the life and times of fashion designer Anupamaa Dayal, hidden away in tranquil ease in the hoary village of Mangar, between noisome Faridabad and Gurugram.

Despite her success on catwalks around the world, Anupamaa’s desire to be close to nature inspires this lovely little homestay in the shadow of the Aravalli range, in the Mangar Bani Valley. On the approach road to the village, you glimpse a pristine white bungalow set in a lawn against a hill, standing apart from the scraggly sprawl of houses. Next, you zero in on its façade—displaying Anupamaa Dayal’s signature flower motif.