Originally reported and written in June 2023, this story has been republished as part of our archival content.

“One day, I will build a farmhouse here,” Rajan Chaughule, a journalist from Mumbai, thought to himself in 2014, as he stood before his ancestral piece of land in Guhagar, Maharashtra. 

Anyone who heard Rajan’s intent would laugh out loud, dismissing his thoughts as mere wishful thinking. After all, countless properties lay in ruins across the country. What made him think this particular piece of land would be an exception?

But Rajan believed it would.

Today, Ayra Farms — a farm stay situated six hours from Mumbai — is a nature lover’s dream with cottages that open their doors to lush gardens, hiking trails and more. As his daughter Noopur Chaughule, who is a culinary professional, recounts, it has been a winding path that has led the family to this moment.

“And the journey was worth it,” she says.

‘There was just something about this land. My father knew it’

While Rajan’s lucrative career as a journalist was taking off and life seemed impeccably perfect, he would often get away from the city and travel to his ancestral land.

“This was the place where my grandfather grew up. My great grandfather was the zamindar here,” Noopur shares, adding that it is at least 50 years old. “My father would often visit the village during his summer holidays as a child. The land always held something fascinating that would keep pulling him back here, in spite of his city life.”

View this post on........

© The Better India