Sacred grove restoration with Rajasthan's desert communities

I grew up in the Thar Desert, in a deeply conservative environment where a woman’s world was expected to remain small. But the desert also taught me resilience — how life survives against impossible odds. After marriage, I began working in journalism, eventually moving to the UK, where I worked as a journalist and discovered the power of storytelling to shape culture and change perceptions.

Years later, I returned home to Rajasthan with a different vision: to create a space that honoured the wisdom of the desert while supporting its future. That vision became Kaner Retreat, a ten-room boutique retreat built beside an Oran — a sacred grove protected for generations by communities who believed nature was divine, where even cutting a tree was forbidden.

Though Kaner is a for-profit venture, it was built with community at its heart. We work closely with artisan groups and non-profits, and I serve on the boards of two organisations supporting women’s empowerment. I was also on the cover of Condenast Traveller India. Kaner Retreat won gold in the responsible tourism category at the awards given by the state government and Outlook Traveller magazine.

Today, the Oran faces overgrazing, overforaging, and declining wildlife. At Kaner, we transformed barren land into a thriving native ecosystem within two years. My dream now is larger: to regenerate the surrounding Oran with women and local communities leading the effort — restoring not just land, but a living cultural legacy.