Do you keep in mind as youngsters how we used to attract two mountains, a small hut, and a stream with a river flowing close by? In my thoughts, that portray was the epitome of peace and nature. All of us grew up with an analogous picture in our heads, however what if I informed you that this image actually exists?

Nestled within the stunning hills of Manali, proper beside the Beas River, is the homestay of your desires. ‘Raison D’etre’, which suggests ‘the aim of somebody’s existence’ in French, is really a labour of affection by its founders and hosts, Shalini and Nitin Beri.

“Right here, you possibly can chase butterflies, bask within the solar, marvel on the night time sky, and savour the easy flavours of life. We wished to flee from town and its hustle-bustle, and we discovered our dwelling on this place,” says Shalini to The Higher India.

Seeking a easy life

Most of us wrestle with the approaching query of ‘what we’re doing with life’. The worry of not following a plan slowly creeps into our system, making us query our choices. Shalini and Nitin realised that this was not their calling after spending years working within the company world.

The largest worry that Shalini and Nitin had about life was ending up caught in a “company rat race”. To take care of the worry, what did the couple do? They determined to stop their careers and transfer to the mountains!

Raised in Kullu the couple met in faculty. The 2 fell in love and finally determined to get married. “We had been working in cities like Mumbai and Delhi at promoting businesses. Whereas we beloved our lives within the metropolis, what we missed most dearly had been the mountains,” Shalini says.

The urge to maneuver again dwelling turned stronger and stronger with time for the couple. “I believe that if you happen to don’t do one thing when you are younger, then there’s a likelihood that you just would possibly by no means do it. Whereas we did take pleasure in our time dwelling in large cities, I all the time feared that I might by no means depart town!” she says.

“I used to be dwelling with this worry continuously, and in 2013, we determined to stop our jobs and transfer again to Kullu for good,” Nitin says.

The couple had an current ancestral House in Kullu which gave them the thought to begin a homestay. “Nevertheless it was not sufficiently big for a undertaking like that,” says Shalini. So, the couple began to search for properties across the place.

When the duo first got here throughout the land the place their dwelling stands now, they had been bowled over by its magnificence — it appeared straight out of a portray! “Since then we’ve constructed the property piece by piece, pouring our hearts into it,” she says.

The house options 4 bedrooms — every named after one of many 4 seasons of the 12 months.  The ‘Spring’ and ‘Summer season’ rooms are located on the bottom flooring, whereas, the ‘Autumn’ and ‘Winter’ rooms are on the primary flooring.

Every room opens as much as magnificent views of the Himalayas and Beas River.

What to anticipate on the Homestay?

“The rooms would not have TV,” says Shalini, “I don’t perceive why anyone would need to sit of their room watching TV when you possibly can sit outside within the orchard and benefit from the views. There are flowers, butterflies, and fruit bushes throughout.”

Company also can take hikes up the hills or serene walks alongside the river and to close by villages. 

“There’s additionally an enormous riverside space with a tiny ‘seashore’. We even have hammocks, creating a really relaxed ambiance. Moreover, there are books out there for studying. In our lounge space, we’ve board video games like Monopoly and Clue,” she provides.

The place even has a pure spring on the property. “Again within the day after we had been rising up, you would merely open a faucet, stick your face beneath it, and drink water, proper? Right here, you are able to do precisely that! The faucets are related to the pure spring water and you’ll drink it,” she shares.

Other than having fun with nature, visitors also can indulge within the scrumptious meals that Shalini prepares.

“There are many edible weeds rising on the property. So, my favorite factor is to choose a complete bunch of what’s rising within the backyard. Regionally, they develop urad dal (black gram) and make little dried badis (vegetable nuggets) out of it for winter, as a result of nothing grows right here within the chilly climate. So, they dry no matter they develop in summer time or make these badis and maintain them. I really like serving my visitors these badis,” she says.

“We additionally make a whole lot of zucchini-based dishes as a result of it grows right here in abundance. We put together it in numerous methods. There are additionally native dishes like siddu which is sort of a bao filled with chutney,” she provides.

Shalini additionally makes use of fiddlehead fern to make pickles together with different produce like persimmon achar, plum chutney, peach jam, and quince jam.

A homestay steeped in sustainability

Nitin is the one who handles all of the ‘jugaads’ (an progressive manner of problem-solving) as Shalini places it.

Nitin informs that the homestay was made retaining in thoughts that it doesn’t disturb the character round. “We’ve carried out a whole lot of eco-friendly and sustainable practices proper from the design of the place. We additionally wished to minimise our vitality necessities. To attain this, we began from the structure and planning part, the place we utilised pure methods of heating and maximised daylight publicity throughout winter whereas minimising it in summer time,” he says.

By way of development supplies, most buildings within the hills are constructed with wooden as it’s a good insulating materials. “Moreover, we’ve integrated insulating blocks within the development, which additional cut back heating and air con prices. These blocks are gentle sufficient to drift on water and insulate all the constructing. Moreover, all home windows are double-glazed with argon gasoline in between for added insulation, and the roofs are insulated as nicely,” he provides.

For heating, the property utilises geothermal warmth pumps, tapping right into a spring on the property for floor supply water. “This water, naturally heat in winter, is cycled by the geothermal warmth pump to extract warmth, which is then used to warmth the constructing. Underfloor pipes, spanning nearly a kilometre, distribute this warmth all through the constructing, offering an environment friendly heating answer,” Nitin explains.

Having confronted a number of energy cuts within the area, the couple determined to be extra sustainable and go photo voltaic. “We run our operations fully on solar energy. We’ve a photo voltaic system in place that generates electrical energy, and our whole home runs on this. Even on days when there’s as little as 30% daylight, the system works effectively. Moreover, any extra vitality generated in the course of the day is saved in batteries, which we then use for energy backup when wanted,” he shares.

Within the six years of operations, the couple has hosted numerous variety of glad visitors to this point. Amongst them is Mumbai-based Priyanka who stayed on the property.

“Situated on the banks of the Beas River, Shalini and Nitin’s homestay exceeded all our expectations. Surrounded by stunning fruit bushes, relying on the season you go to, you possibly can bask in farm-fresh fruits every single day!” she remarks.

She goes on, “The meals we skilled right here was actually distinctive, providing a few of the most interesting and freshest meals we’ve ever had — issues we don’t discover again dwelling. All through our five-day keep, we had been handled to a various vary of cuisines, together with Chinese language, Italian, Thai, and Indian dishes, crafted with care and love by Nitin and Shalini utilizing regionally sourced substances.”

Describing their homestay as a dreamy getaway for metropolis people on the lookout for respite, Nitin and Shalini share that day-to-day stunning experiences maintain them going. “We consider this place we’ve created is someplace you possibly can actually heal,” says Shalini.

“Presently, a mom and daughter pair are staying with us. The mom who’s a pranic healer principally engages in meditation and yoga, taking the silence in, whereas the daughter retains working round chasing butterflies. The homestay is her playground, and the pure parts are her toys. It’s wonderful to see how two generations are having fun with the property in their very own methods on the similar time,” she provides with a smile.

(Edited by Pranita Bhat; All pictures credit score: Raison D’etre)