Grounded in decades of work and relationship building with the local Bhil tribal community, the Aravalli Kendra (Kendra means center in Hindi) was established in 2019 through collaborative efforts of the community and our small team of supporters and students.  The center was built by local artisans in the rammed earth style using only already available re-purposed materials. As compared to the local construction style, the design of this center was altered to create a functional community space through an ongoing dialogue between the local artisans and engineering students who previously participated in our village immersion programs.

 ​The aim of the Aravalli Kendra is to strengthen the local village economy and revive indigenous cultural practices that have helped this community maintain an ecological balance while living on these lands for many generations. The surviving tribal traditions continue to bind the Bhil community to the land, a relationship in which the land is home, not a resource. In this region of the Southern Aravallis, however, unplanned development coming from urban forces (e.g., tourist resorts) has led to the ecological degradation of the forests and rivers that provide local sustenance and identity.