This ‘second home’ in Surat overlooking the Tapti river, is a sanctuary for the mind and soul

There’s a myth around the Tapti in Surat. As the river flows steadily from the Gawilgarh Hills of the Deccan plateau, it carries with it ancient folklores and myths. Tapti, they say, was once the Hindu goddess created by the Sun God to save himself from intense heat. Today, hundreds of devotees are drawn by the revitalising aura of the river. So a few years ago, when Rajiv Saini, one of Mumbai’s most sought-after designers, came across a property on the lush banks of this river, he knew the house had to speak to this crucial element of nature. “The river became the highlight of the apartment, and we planned the spaces so that the owners would maximise their time facing the river bank,” says Saini.