Hriday Bhoomi
The home you lose your heart to.
They say, there’s no stronger call than the one from your hometown.
For the past 15 years, I have been going back to my home in the mountains, almost every fortnight.
Till the time Dhela happened just over six years ago. Bang in the middle between Gurgaon and my village, a call from a relative saw me take a turn towards this tiny hamlet. In a way, I haven’t left since.
The next time my wife, Rajni joined me. Both of us felt an almost instant karmic connection to this often forgotten village that rings the famous Jim Corbett Sanctuary. We had never been here before, but the tiny hamlet hugged us tight like an old friend.
And we embraced the village right back.
Many village walks later, we chose a piece of land. (Or was it the other way around??)
The location spoke to us. We could see the sunrise and the sunset. A dense forest on one side, hills on the other and swaying wheat stalks all around us. For the rest, we let our imagination run free.
Ever so slowly, Hriday Bhoomi (lovingly named after our 2 beautiful kids) began to take shape. Today it’s one of a kind luxury home stay – one in which our family drops by almost every other week to personally take care of guests. The rare occasion on which this is not possible, guests are personally looked after by our trained staff members, including our in house local celebrity chef who is full of stories and rare pahadi recipes.
Yet at the heart of it all, our villa has that feeling of a home, and our guests have vouched for this in their reviews on Tripadvisor and Google. This homely spirit that every guest speaks of, is seeped into its every nook and cranny.
Why is it so you may well ask?
The answer lies in what you see as soon as you step in. The verdant lawn and the adjoining flower beds have been tended to personally by us and our staff. The same goes for the reception – it has been designed, curated and put together by us, with some innovative ideas suggested by our daughter. The rooms (each one has been named after the surrounding flora and fauna) too hum with the same personal touch.
We have tried to add a warm and special feel in every aspect of our home – right down to the menu which serves some of our very own favourite local pahadi delicacies (do remember to ask for it in advance); the ingredients for which come right from our home in the mountains.
Drop by anytime. And yes, keep an extra day handy. Because you are not leaving Hriday Bhoomi in a hurry.
