Following the completion of Good Earth Jodhpur as part of JDH -- an urban regeneration initiative intended to restore glory to Jodhpur's ancient Walled City -- Jodhpur's Royal Family, the driving force behind the initiative, approached us with an interesting proposal. They wanted to create display windows across a few of their properties along the famed stepwell in the old city, celebrating both the locally-sourced craft and the artisans behind it. The idea was to tell a story that reflects Rajasthani heritage and feature products from the individual stores along the stepwell, so as to showcase their offerings and draw tourists.
Before commencing with the project, we went through the Royal Family's photo archives dating back generations and featuring engagements from state dinners to polo games and aviation. It's worth noting that the first-ever flight to Lahore from India took off at Jodhpur Airport, a piece of aviation history that was incorporated in the displays.
The first of five window designs drew from the royal dining room, recreating the setting; the next paid homage to the Sufi Festival that takes place in the city every February. Window Three highlighted fashion, showcasing safa and Jodhpur pants, with a tikri mirrorwork backdrop local to Rajasthan. The fourth highlights the city’s long association with polo and aviation and Window Five offers a glimpse of royal life, with a swing housed on the royal verandah.
Opposite the stepwell, a small passage allowed for a chronological representation of Jodhpur's aviation history. A series of miniature displays modelled like aircraft windows go all the way back to 1924, when Maharaja Umaid Singh set up the Jodhpur Flying Club.
