From a simple idea to do something for the mountains to a vision for building a premium Himalayan lifestyle brand from Kumaon
Some businesses begin with a market opportunity. For HOUSE OF IJA, the starting point was a much more personal question:
“What can we do for our own mountains?”
For founder Manish Mehta, who comes from Kumaon in Uttarakhand, the answer gradually took the form of a brand that could originate in the Himalayas and reach consumers across India.
The idea was simple: why not build a contemporary brand from the mountains—one that brings together nature, wellness, home, lifestyle, craftsmanship and the cultural character of Kumaon?
That thought eventually became House of IJA, a Himalayan wellness, home décor and lifestyle brand rooted in Kasardevi, Kumaon, Uttarakhand.
From Delhi to Kumaon
Manish Mehta brings more than 15 years of experience across advertising, branding and production and has been running his own agency for over a decade. His professional journey has included creative direction, advertising, fashion, theatre, films, production and brand building.
His experience in the creative industry shaped the way he approached House of IJA—not simply as a product company, but as a brand built around storytelling, design and experience.
At the same time, his connection with Kumaon remained strong.
For him, the mountains were not just a place of origin but a part of identity and belonging. Over time, the desire to create something for the region developed into a larger ambition: to build a premium brand from Kumaon rather than merely inspired by Kumaon.
The journey from Delhi back towards the mountains eventually led him to Kasardevi, where the idea began taking a more definite shape.
Why “IJA”?
The name became one of the first expressions of that connection.
In Kumaoni, IJA means “mother.” It is also among the first words a child learns to say.
For a brand rooted in the Himalayas, the word carried a deeper meaning. The mountains represent janmabhoomi—one’s place of origin, roots, memories and relationship with nature. The idea of “mother” evokes many of the same emotions: purity, love, care, nourishment, trust and belonging.
The name therefore became more than a brand identity.
It became the emotional foundation of House of IJA.
Starting with Fragrance
The first product was not chosen overnight.
After considerable research, House of IJA began with scented candles, a category that naturally connected with its vision of home décor, lifestyle and sensory experiences.
Fragrance was also an area of personal interest for Manish. Rather than entering the category simply as a manufacturer, he chose to understand it more deeply.
He undertook a specialised course related to aroma and fragrance, studied oils and blending techniques, visited more than 20 factories, and carried out extensive R&D and experimentation.
That process eventually helped shape one of the early strengths of House of IJA: its approach to fragrance and oil blending.
The objective was not simply to create a pleasant-smelling product, but to understand fragrance as an experience.
The scented candle became the first step towards a much larger product vision.
Building a Himalayan Lifestyle Brand
House of IJA is now envisioned as a broader Himalayan wellness, home décor and lifestyle brand.
Its product universe includes incense, bamboo-less incense sticks, dhoop sticks, dhoop cones and other spiritual products, alongside home fragrance categories such as reed diffusers, aroma diffusers, essential oils and room fragrances.
The long-term direction is to develop products that bring elements of the Himalayan experience into contemporary homes.
But the brand's ambition goes beyond what is placed on a shelf.
For House of IJA, an important question is also where products come from and who participates in creating them.
Creating an Ecosystem Around the Mountains
One of the brand's long-term objectives is to explore livelihood opportunities in the Himalayan region by connecting local women, farmers and producers with a growing market for natural and Himalayan-origin products.
The vision includes encouraging communities to cultivate herbs, flowers and other natural raw materials, with the potential for the brand to source these materials directly from local producers.
House of IJA is also exploring the use of flowers collected from temples, giving discarded flowers the possibility of being transformed into spiritual and wellness products.
The broader idea is to develop a connected ecosystem:
Land → People → Raw Materials → Production → Products → Consumers → Livelihood
For House of IJA, being a Himalayan brand therefore means more than using the mountains as a visual identity.
The aspiration is to make the region part of the brand's value chain.
When a Name Creates a Connection
One experience during a Diwali exhibition in Delhi captured the emotional potential of the brand.
A family that had moved from the mountains to Delhi many years earlier visited the House of IJA display. The gentleman, a government officer, spent time understanding the products and the story behind the brand.
He eventually told the team that he was from the mountains and particularly liked the name “IJA.”
He said he would return the following day with his mother.
The next day, he came back with his IJA, who was around 75 years old. She connected with the meaning behind the name and selected House of IJA incense sticks and herbal tea.
For the team, the interaction became a memorable reminder of the power of cultural connection.
A single Kumaoni word had created a bridge between a new brand and a family that had carried its mountain roots with them to Delhi.
Creativity as a Foundation
The brand's development is closely linked to Manish Mehta's creative background.
His experience across advertising, fashion, theatre, films, production and brand building has influenced the way House of IJA approaches Himalayan identity.
The objective is not to reproduce traditional imagery simply because it appears authentic. Instead, the brand aims to interpret Himalayan culture, nature and traditions through contemporary design and storytelling.
The approach brings together Himalayan roots, creativity, product knowledge, design, storytelling and market understanding.
The ambition is to build a premium brand that can compete in contemporary markets while remaining connected to its origins.
From Kumaon to India
House of IJA's larger ambition is to build a pan-India premium brand from Kumaon, Uttarakhand.
Alongside wellness, home décor and lifestyle, the wider vision is beginning to extend into other expressions of Kumaon's natural abundance.
One such initiative is KumDharaa — The Essence of Kumaon, a distinct premium consumer brand focused on the nourishment and produce of the land, including A2 cow ghee, Himalayan honey, pulses, millets, rajma, herbs, spices, salt and herbal tea.
While House of IJA and KumDharaa operate with distinct brand identities and product categories, they share a common geographic and philosophical connection to Kumaon.
Together, they reflect a broader ambition to build contemporary brands from the region and create new connections between Himalayan resources, people, products and consumers.
A Dream Still Taking Shape
House of IJA is still at the beginning of its journey.
There are products to develop, communities to connect, stories to tell and new possibilities to explore.
But the original question remains at the heart of the journey:
“What can we do for our mountains?”
For House of IJA, the answer is evolving into another question:
“What can we create from the mountains for the world?”
That is the larger dream behind the brand—to create a contemporary home for Himalayan stories, products, people and possibilities.
From Kumaon. Rooted in the Himalayas. Built for the world.
