Ritu Kumar's home in Goa is designed around a 400-year-old Banyan tree
When he found a property on a hill, at the end of a cul-de-sac, tucked away inside a forest in the heart of Anjuna, Ashvin Kumar knew it had his name on it—or at least, would soon enough. "The land itself was most unusual. It sloped away into a little valley and had unobstructed views all around," recalls the Oscar-nominated filmmaker and son of veteran designer Ritu Kumar. But for Ashvin, the crowning glory was the 400-year-old banyan tree that presided the land. “It diffused the harsh midday sun yet welcomed the soft twilight. I was immediately drawn to it.” And so, it was decided, the site would be cultivated and a home would be built for the family. After all, with its bright and breezy spirit and its abundance of coconut groves, the location was the perfect antidote to the urban sprawl.
