Banyan Bliss
I finally start blogging again after two years, thanks to an
awesome stay at Banyan Bliss. We decided to celebrate our anniversary at this beautiful home-stay located some 100 kilometres from Mumbai and 30 kilometres from Khopoli. It is run by the
ex-advertising man, Viinod and his wife Beena Nair.
Almost 10 years back, the couple decided to move
away from the fast-paced Mumbai life and settle permanently in the midst
of Mother Nature. While chatting with Beena, she shared that when they initially came to decide on which plot
to buy, the broker had shown them different areas. It was suddenly that they spotted a huge banyan tree at one end and instantly fell in love with it. They decided to buy the area surrounding this monstrous tree. With their love, devotion and affection, they turned it into an abode of sheer "Bliss" within three years.
Banyan Tree
Situated right on top of a
hillock, surrounded by lush greenery, this place is not difficult to locate because Viinod is literally the celebrity of Vasundhe and other neighbouring villages. This grey bearded man is often invited to village events, but he dreads it when he is asked to give a speech there. The only reason being, he needs to speak in Hindi and he claims to be quite weak in it.
Beena says she had been pretty selfish initially because the whole intent of building this place was to familiarise her grandchildren with the real or the rural India. However, today she is proud of the fact,
that so many other kids, their parents and young couples come here to spend quality time with each other. The blessing in disguise of this place is that,
there is sporadic network, zero net connectivity and no television in the
rooms, so one is actually kind of forced to keep everything aside and
talk.
Local kids playing
There are five
rooms built around this Banyan tree and each with different themes. An
intentional rustic feel is given to the entire farm house, from the walls being
made out of cow-dung, thatched roofs, a tiny fish pond located right in front
of the master bedroom, horse cart, hammock and armchairs for you to laze
around, read books or watch the clear blue sky, the option is yours.
The Nairs, who stay next door, have a charming horse whom they lovingly
call ‘Prince’ and a boxer named ‘Patch’. The specialty of
this Eco-retreat is the personal touch added by the couple and the
stories they have to share.
Outside view from the breakfast/lunch area
The
evening barbecue session is done under the starlit sky and with the moon
gazing at you. Viinod and Beena makes it a point to attend every guest by interacting
with them for long. They took care of our smallest needs and did their every
bit to make our stay as pleasurable as possible. The food was
simple yet tasty prepared by their home cook Sanjay and their driver Pandit
took us to the nearby lake for trekking along with looking after any other needs.
Before
leaving, Viinod makes it a point to click a picture with his guests and keep it
with him, so that even if he forgets their names, their faces will still be
fresh in his mind. He and his wife came to drop us personally outside the gate and
bade goodbye with a promise to meet soon. So if you are planning to run away from the stressful city life and spend a few days of tranquility, you got to try this place out.
(Image
Courtesy: Banyan Bliss Facebook Page)
 |
| Banyan Bliss |
I finally start blogging again after two years, thanks to an
awesome stay at Banyan Bliss. We decided to celebrate our anniversary at this beautiful home-stay located some 100 kilometres from Mumbai and 30 kilometres from Khopoli. It is run by the
ex-advertising man, Viinod and his wife Beena Nair.
Almost 10 years back, the couple decided to move away from the fast-paced Mumbai life and settle permanently in the midst of Mother Nature. While chatting with Beena, she shared that when they initially came to decide on which plot to buy, the broker had shown them different areas. It was suddenly that they spotted a huge banyan tree at one end and instantly fell in love with it. They decided to buy the area surrounding this monstrous tree. With their love, devotion and affection, they turned it into an abode of sheer "Bliss" within three years.
Situated right on top of a
hillock, surrounded by lush greenery, this place is not difficult to locate because Viinod is literally the celebrity of Vasundhe and other neighbouring villages. This grey bearded man is often invited to village events, but he dreads it when he is asked to give a speech there. The only reason being, he needs to speak in Hindi and he claims to be quite weak in it.
Almost 10 years back, the couple decided to move away from the fast-paced Mumbai life and settle permanently in the midst of Mother Nature. While chatting with Beena, she shared that when they initially came to decide on which plot to buy, the broker had shown them different areas. It was suddenly that they spotted a huge banyan tree at one end and instantly fell in love with it. They decided to buy the area surrounding this monstrous tree. With their love, devotion and affection, they turned it into an abode of sheer "Bliss" within three years.
 |
| Banyan Tree |
Beena says she had been pretty selfish initially because the whole intent of building this place was to familiarise her grandchildren with the real or the rural India. However, today she is proud of the fact, that so many other kids, their parents and young couples come here to spend quality time with each other. The blessing in disguise of this place is that, there is sporadic network, zero net connectivity and no television in the rooms, so one is actually kind of forced to keep everything aside and talk.
 |
| Local kids playing |
The Nairs, who stay next door, have a charming horse whom they lovingly call ‘Prince’ and a boxer named ‘Patch’. The specialty of this Eco-retreat is the personal touch added by the couple and the stories they have to share.
 |
| Outside view from the breakfast/lunch area |
Before leaving, Viinod makes it a point to click a picture with his guests and keep it with him, so that even if he forgets their names, their faces will still be fresh in his mind. He and his wife came to drop us personally outside the gate and bade goodbye with a promise to meet soon. So if you are planning to run away from the stressful city life and spend a few days of tranquility, you got to try this place out.
(Image Courtesy: Banyan Bliss Facebook Page)
