DEOGADH THE HOMESTAY
We love our home.. you will too!
You don’t seek the house.. the house seeks you
The 20th century was in a hurry to end its tenure and so were we.. to build our dream home.
The location was decided.. it was to be in Goa.. however that plan evaded us with land records being sketchy at the time.
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A project to build a country home for a client led Clement, an Architect by profession to Pawna… and to a scenic plot of land that kissed the lake with the Tunghi peak looming protectively over it. Inspired by the Lawrie Baker style of using local materials, the home took shape contoured by the land itself… stone by stone it took root with the material being quarried from the Mumbai Pune expressway that was being built at the time..
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Back in 1999, without the help of land moving equipment, it was a challenge to build a home. The humble ‘nangaar’ and ‘petri’ (pickaxe and shovel) the house was built. The first ‘structure’ to be built was a water body to collect water required to cure the cement. Trips to lake in our rugged Willy’s jeep that faithfully ferried barrels of water helped build the water tank that still stands at Deogadh today. It is now the repository for rain water harvesting used to maintain our plants. Once the tank was built, the next step was to mark out the rooms. A small two bedroom house was all we wanted.. but Maslow’s hierarchy nudged us hard and hence today we have a four bedroom home.
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A solar cooker that prepared Maggi 2 minute noodles in 2 hours was the lunch fare for Clement as he personally made sure every stone was in place with the help of local labourers of the nearby Thakursai village. Dinner was bhakri-bhaji at the home of Natu, a farmer who lived in the village. And nights were spent under the stars on the cow dung floor of Natu’s courtyard adjoining the stable where his bullocks lived.
And so the summer of ‘99 went by with fortifying the shell that was to become Deogadh… which translates as the ‘fortress of God’ for this was to be our sanctuary when the hustle of Mumbai City got to us.
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And as the new century rolled in, so did our new home.. where we created memories.. and now invite you to do the same.
In the times of prolonged lockdown and the uncertainty, if you are looking for a bit of inspiration as we did, then Deogadh The Home Stay is just perfect.
With the vast lakewaters in the front and valley in the back with the rising Sun and mountains on all sides, the place is incredibly beautiful. We heard peacocks meowing in the morning.
There is also a pretty waterfall nearby. In the winds and rains, amidst abundant shrubs and bright wild flowers, it is almost magical.
The house is creatively designed, with thoughtfully created spaces; built in rock, effortlessly merging with the dense monsoon green. The interior is done in white and wood, has a colonial charm, with things of subtle beauty all around.
We found it sparklingly clean and pampering-ly comfortable. The little collection of books is rich and select.
Since its a home-stay, the food is customised and that's great. We had the most perfect barbecue there. The people are warm and courteous. And, the hostess is a graceful lady.
But, most importantly, the place has intelligent and efficient systems, with a personalized touch to all the arrangements. That's rare.
Karuna and family
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Calm, serene and perfect for monsoons!
A great place to stay near Pawna Lake. The homestay ‘Deogadh’ is nestled amidst nature which makes it the perfect place to unwind and relax.
We visited in July 2019 for a family getaway. The homestay has gorgeous views including panoramic views of the Tungi Fort and Pawna lake. We were lucky to meet the hosts Anabelle and Clement, who are wonderful people and we enjoyed our long conversations with them. Clement was kind enough to give us a tour of their amazing property (including the campsite) which included lush green fields, a waterfall, and a variety of interesting trees and plants bearing vegetables, fruits and spices. A special thanks also to their manager Raju, who organised a lovely barbecue for us!
The place is definitely worth a visit, specially in the monsoons, if you love getting wet in the rains (with an option of getting wet in a mini-waterfall at the campsite) or simply enjoying watching the rains and lush green environs from a cozy spot indoors- this place offers it all. Looking forward to visiting again!
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Vidhi Sharma