The protective, motherly grey-browns of the stone walls,

the warm, softening yellow of the sun,

the chirpy reds and blues of the roses and wisteria,

together paint a pretty picture,

not so different..

..from the one Rajiv painted years ago,

for his wife Shubh,

before he set out to bring the sketch to life,

atop this hill,

just above the Tons river,

in a tiny village called Chandroti in Dehradun…

But what’s interesting,

almost intriguing,

is how this home,

despite the empty pictures,

is so full with the lingering presence of its residents,

from all the years of being lived in…

And how this time around,

the sketch being painted,

is a portrait of the residents,

by their home.

Shubh Chopra, with husband Rajiv Chopra, moved from Delhi to Dehradun  in 1988. They built this beautiful property, their dream house, in Chandroti village, in the foot hills of the Shivaliks. Shubh enjoyed knitting, a craft taught to her by her mother during her growing up years in Delhi, and would often find herself crafting blankets, hats, scarves for her children and grandchildren. After moving to Chandroti, she started teaching the craft to local women, so they could help her. But it grew into something much bigger!

She founded Chandroti Initiative, a non profit organization, in 2002, to teach the women of this village and the surrounding ones, the craft of knitting. Under her supervision these women create throws, blankets, hats, scarves, jackets, footsies etc. that are being sold in India, Australia and the US, helping them provide for their families and feel empowered. Having started with a tiny group in an informal setting, today Shubh’s initiative has grown into a team of over 200 women.

Images courtesy: Inside Outside

For winter accessories and kid’s apparel by Chandroti Initiative, shop here, here and here.

If you would like to feature your home here (or recommend a friend’s), write to us at iheart@jaypore.com with the title ‘Home Diaries’.

Text by: Aditi Bhatia