The Leela Palaces Ditched Traditional Christmas Decor for Ancient Kutch Mirror Art
Exquisitely handcrafted by women artisans, the installations marry centuries-old craftsmanship with contemporary luxury.
Dec 10, 2025
This festive season, The Leela Palaces has reimagined holiday elegance. In place of traditional Christmas trees, four of its distinguished properties are showcasing extraordinary installations crafted using Lippan art—the ancient mud and mirror craft that women in Gujarat's Kutch region have perfected over generations.
The bespoke trees grace The Leela Palace New Delhi, Jaipur, Bengaluru, and Udaipur, each a masterpiece created by women artisans working with the Karigar Foundation. These artisans have shaped modular structures adorned with meticulously hand-moulded clay patterns and intricate mirror inlays. The geometric motifs honour the craft's storied visual language while infusing it with a refined contemporary sensibility.
What elevates these installations beyond mere decoration is their thoughtful design for longevity. Crafted from sustainable materials, the trees will be carefully dismantled after the season and transformed into elegant coasters, ornaments, and other keepsakes, a celebration that endures well beyond the holidays.
Lippan art possesses a quiet power that transforms humble materials into something luminous. The initiative celebrates an exquisite craft while creating a meaningful connection to heritage and to the women who breathe life into this art.
The installation forms part of Threads of Tradition, The Leela's distinguished programme supporting craft-based upskilling and livelihood creation for women artisans. Guests are invited to share photographs of the installations using #MirrorsOfHope and #LeelaEmpowersHer, with each post translating into continued support for these talented artisans.
Beyond the Lippan installations, other properties across the portfolio have embraced sustainability with equal sophistication. The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi constructed an impressive 11-foot tree from carefully repurposed wooden flooring. At The Leela Kovalam, a striking 15-foot structure celebrates coastal heritage through coconut husk. The Leela Ambience Gurugram curated a tree adorned with handcrafted ornaments by local artisans, while The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi fashioned an architectural façade installation from reclaimed conduit pipes—each a testament to creativity and conscious luxury.