Plot area: 4 acres

Built Up Area : 2,140 sq.ft.

Location: Dindori District, Madhya Pradesh.

The project was a distillery for Mahua Heritage Alcohol production. This was commissioned by the district collector and excise department of Madhya Pradesh as a pilot project. The site was a barren 4 acre land in a rural area. It was covered in gravel and located close to a river. It offered stunning views of the expanses in this water starved district of Madhya Pradesh.

Alcohol from Mahua flowers is a tribal produce of this region. The state excise department intends to promote economic development benefitting the tribals by investing in a distillery and well packed products of the liquor. The project aims at regulating the home-distilled Mahua Alcohol by promoting it as a Heritage Alcohol.

We interacted with experts in the field of alcohol distillation like Mr. Anirudha Mukerjee and with engineers from the Vasant Dada Sugar Institute, Pune, who developed the equipment and processes for Mahua Distillation. This enabled us to develop an efficient distillation loop and an ideal building form that was climate and context responsive. The design was easy to replicate as the project would expand to other towns around the tribal belt.

The structure was designed to be built using easily available building material and skill sets. The construction was taken up by the local PWD. The shell was a neutral palette on which the locals added some of their personal artwork and colour touches. Traditionally, Mahua distillation has always been done in the home kitchens of tribals. This partially mechanised distillery is managed entirely by local women’s groups.

Budget: N/A.