Nitin 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 with three square spaces linked with two wide arches honours Nitin Bhayana, among India’s most articulate art collectors who can instinctively tell the gold from the dust.