“People come here to find themselves,” was one of the first things Alka Shesha, the founder of Avabodha Homestay, told me when we began discussing her brainchild.
Nestled amidst the serene hills of Panchgani and overlooking the majestic Krishna river, the homestay exudes tranquillity. However, what truly distinguishes it is the deeply ingrained commitment to sustainability and reverence for nature exhibited by both the homestay and its hosts.
“When I bought this land, traditionally, there is a puja that is supposed to be done before starting the construction. However, we decided to honour nature instead and vowed to maintain it just as it is,” Alka tells The Better India.
Co-founded by Alka and her daughter Prachi Chaphekar, the branding at the property is managed by Prachi, while Alka oversees operations and other duties. “She is the body and soul of Avabodha while I am the heart,” says Prachi.
The dream of a lifetime
Before establishing the homestay, Alka devoted decades of her life to the social sector. She saved up during this time to transform her passion for helping others find themselves into a reality. “I always nurtured a dream of opening my own space where people could come, relax, and find peace,” she shares.
An ardent traveller, Alka found the perfect companion in her daughter, Prachi. “While I loved travelling, my husband held the opposite view. So, most of the time, it was just Prachi and me,” she reminisces.
Together, the mother-daughter duo explored the world extensively. “One thing I always made sure of while travelling was to stay in homestays. I’m the kind of person who loves to immerse myself in the local culture, and staying in homestays is one of the best ways to truly understand a place,” Alka explains.
In 2014, she finally decided to start working on building her homestay ‘Avabodha’ — the Sanskrit word Avabodha means ‘awakening’. “I travelled across the country from Uttarakhand to Himachal to find the perfect piece of land, while it was right here in Panchgani all along!” she says.
Prachi went to a boarding school in Panchgani and had always been in love with the hill station. So when Alka was looking at places, she looked for land in Panchgani too. “Whenever I went to visit her, we would explore the place. I would even stay back and explore the hill station alone. This made me fall in love with the property even more with every visit,” says Alka.
“When I first saw the land and the view it offered, I was taken aback. I have never seen a place this beautiful. There was something about the place that kept luring me back. It was like nature had chosen me to show it to the world while preserving its sanctity,” she adds.
“So I purchased the piece of land and began my journey towards my dream home,” she says.
It took nearly four years for Alka to complete the property, and they opened their doors to guests in 2019. Since then, the mother-daughter duo have hosted numerous artist retreats and more than 1,000 guests in their homestay.
The sweetness of doing nothing
Located in a secluded region in Panchgani, a common question that Alka and Prachi are often asked is ‘Are there any activities to do near the villa?’ “I tell my guests that there are no activities. Many of them are caught off guard by this response, but I do this in an effort to make them understand the importance of doing nothing,” says Alka.
While the property offers numerous engaging activities, such as gardening, pottery, star gazing, and bonfires, the duo encourages their guests to do nothing instead.
“There is a sweetness in doing nothing, which most people don’t know about. We encourage our guests to sit on the balcony or in common areas, sip a glass of wine, and just enjoy the view. Listen to the music of nature and indulge in the food made for them,” she says.
Besides this, Avabodha also hosts various yoga and artist retreats where artists are welcome to do soul-searching at the property. “I am an artist myself, and the villa is full of paintings given to us by our guests from the artist retreats. Before the pandemic, we did not have Wi-Fi at the property. We left a note for our guests to talk to each other and have a true off-the-grid experience without any internet. We don’t have a television even today,” informs Prachi.
When you stay at Avabodha, what you wake up to are the misty hills, the chirping of insects, and bird songs. “We have a lot of peacocks and birds coming into our garden, which is why we do not allow pets at the property currently,” she adds.
The property has three bedrooms — a hall and a kitchen along with a bonfire area, a hammock area, and a garden. The cost of staying varies based on factors like weekends, tourist seasons, and holidays. On average, the entire villa costs Rs 21,000 per night, shares Alka, and the couples receive a 50 percent discount on their stay.
One of the customers, R M Rao, who stayed at the property, says, “It was like I was at His (God’s) abode. For the first time in my life, I heard silence — loud and clear. The sky, the home, everything was a great experience. To say that the food was good and the service by Kalpana and Anil (caretakers) was amazing would be an understatement.”
The homestay serves only vegetarian food cooked by their caretaker, Kalpana, whom they consider to be the “best cook” in the world. “She is amazing, and our guests never stop praising her,” states Prachi.
Talking about how the food is so tasty and organically grown, Balaraj Khakar, who stayed at the villa on his birthday, says, “I am a hardcore non-vegetarian and was worried about the food at the stay as it is a fully vegetarian place. But I am not exaggerating when I say that vegetarian food has never tasted better! Besides the food, I loved how much nature was around me when I was staying at the property. It was a truly amazing experience.”
When asked about how they are keeping their property eco-friendly, Alka delves into the details of how the property was built with a sustainable philosophy from the outset.
“When I was starting the construction of the property I had the greatest challenge — finding an eco-friendly architect who fits into my budget. After searching a lot, I found one in Sataram,” she shares. “I wanted to use mud for the construction of my home. However, the place did not have enough clay in the soil to hold it together. So we had to switch to laterite stone.”
“We have no columns in the structure and steel is used to the minimum quantity. Every bone in our home is in alignment with nature. We also compost all of our wet waste and use it as manure for our organic garden. We also have solar heaters, and the house is designed for rainwater harvesting, which we are planning to start soon,” she adds.
‘Had to become a part of the community’
Looking back at her beautiful home and all the memories the duo has collected over the past few years, Alka reflects that it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. When she decided to start looking for land and her dream was closer to reality, most people around her showed concern.
“First of all, I was about to throw in all my life savings, and that was a big risk. The thought that a woman might be able to do this all on her own was unimaginable to many. Many of my relatives questioned my decision, but I had a goal in mind and was unshakable,” she says.
When Alka was buying the property, she faced a lot of resistance within the community. “I was a stranger trying to buy their land and on top of that, a woman. When I would be working with the labourers on the site, men from the village would come and declare that ‘you cannot do this’.”
“The property is quite isolated, and sometimes I would be all alone with some men working on the property. This really was a matter of concern for my family,” she recalls.
However, none of these issues deterred her from building her dream house. “It was around this time that I met Kalpana who is now our caretaker and support system at Avabodha. She became my way of making my place in the community,” she says.
Slowly, the community started to accept her and the homestay. “Now, they go beyond their means to help me run the place and keep it safe,” she informs.
“I would say go for it ladies, nothing can stop you if you have the will to do it,” she says.
On working with her mother, Prachi muses, “It is very rare when two family members come together to run a business. Between my mother and I, there is a huge generational gap but we have different views and ideas. However, what bonds us together is the willingness to learn from each other. It has been a truly amazing experience,” she says.
If you wish to experience ‘nothingness’ at Avabodha Homestay, you can book the place here.
(Edited by Pranita Bhat)
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