The Kunj invites you to slow down, lose yourself in stories woven by artisans

At the entrance, on either side, a terracotta horse sculpture stands tall. Inside, the architecture itself is a spectacle – carved wooden pillars in red and gold, white marble designed balconies with jaali work, and a soaring ceiling painted in a floral stained-glass pattern.

As soon as one enters, the first stop is Illuminated India, with rows of traditional diyas set into a green wall of shelves. Each lamp – whether a clay diya from Rajasthan or a temple deepam from Tamil Nadu – becomes more than an object.

To the left of the lamp wall is the Karigar Sangam hall, the walls of which are lined with framed artworks. There are handicrafts like that of giant Jodhpur Morjari footwear, Kalamkari woodblocks, embroidered parakhi from Jodhpur. This section honours Shilp Gurus and National Awardees.

The sound of hammer is constant as one enters the main atrium area. Two men are working on wooden handicrafts. Behind them on a display are several other artefacts, including small trays and elephants, created using the Bone Inlay method. On the opposite side, seated on a bench, artist Dhanalakota Vinay Kumar is working on five Cheriyal paintings at the same time.

The highlight of the atrium is the suspended installation woven from 100 sarees – from Banarasis and Paithanis to Ikats and Kanjeevarams – a tribute to India’s textile legacy and the way regional traditions are bound into a national fabric.

From here, you wander into the curated retail stores, spread across the first and second floors. These are not ordinary shops. Each space has a storytelling wall, narrating the ethos and journey of the artisan enterprise or brand it represents. Whether it’s MeMeraki, reviving endangered art forms through lifestyle products or Khel Ghar, bringing back traditional Indian games as tools for learning and play – every corner offers both craft and context.

As you step further, the mood shifts into playfulness with the ‘Hand-Crafted Garden’. The huge flowers of different coloured cloth materials become a reason for everyone to pause and click pictures. A photographic wall, built from nearly 400 crowd-sourced submissions called Of Hands and Heritage, showcases artisans at work, their tools, and their intimate spaces of creation. Even the seating area becomes an experience. The area isn’t just functional but painted in vibrant folk styles – Warli and Madhubani – so that even over coffee or chai, you remain immersed in craft traditions.

By the time you step out, The Kunj feels less like a one-time visit and more like a living courtyard, one where heritage is not preserved behind glass but allowed to breathe, adapt, and invite you back in.