Situated on the fringe of the Sasan Gir National Park, Aramness Gir, a new style safari lodge, is set to open in October 2021.

Aramness is the culmination of collaborative design between Fox Browne Creative and Nicholas Plewman Architects to create a unique and immersive experience in the Indian wilderness. The lodge design takes its inspiration from the characteristic local village, Haripur, with its central cobbled streets fringed with courtyard homes (kothis). Natural forest and meadow gardens have been revived on the property wherever possible and are experienced in and around the kothis and guest areas, merging the natural habitat of the area with the built environment and paying homage to the original use of the land as farmland.

Each of the 18 private village-style kothis (rooms) take their cue from the informal arrangement of the local Gujarati village homes, whose buildings develop spontaneously with time. True to the name (Aramness – peaceful village), the luxurious interiors have been designed to instill deep comfort and tranquility and have been constructed using the many natural materials and craft techniques native to Gujarat and India.

The lodge houses 15 standalone single bedroom kothis (rooms) and 03 standalone double bedroom kothis (rooms) with a shared dining space. Each kothi (room) is a spacious double-storey building. All kothis have a cool shaded courtyard and upper deck veranda that overlooks waterways and beyond to the dense forest. To accentuate the bespoke elements, each kothi (room) has a private pool inspired by the characteristic Indian step wells. The curated experiences at Aramness will be delivered by butlers assigned to each kothi.

Throughout the lodge, everything that makes up the design inventory has been sourced or made in Gujarat. From the pattern on the large sandstone and steel Jali screens (which is a replica of the perforations of the dried leaf of a sal tree) to the striking wall of kutchi lipan- plasterwork with its intricate inlaid mirrors handcrafted by local artisans. The vintage applique scatter cushions and hand-beaten brass tables add to the detailed layering.