In a forest 60 km from Dandeli, where the sounds of traffic are replaced by cicadas and the nearest mobile signal is a trek away, stands a home that runs not on electricity, but on intention.

There are no fences to keep the wild out and no switches to flip — only fireflies to light the night. This is Off The Grid, a rustic forest retreat situated in a 2500 sq km area, built and run by a couple — Sylvia Kerkar, a former journalist turned potter, and John Pollard, a pioneer in white water rafting.

At 56, the couple leads a life as grounded and steady as the clay Sylvia shapes every day — a stark contrast to her former world of deadlines and newsrooms.

An eight-year journey as a journalist

Sylvia began her career in 1987 by pursuing a degree in hotel management at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (IHMCT&AN) in Bengaluru. But it didn’t take long for her to realise that her true passion lay in writing and storytelling.

“I had already started writing for my college, and I was doing a bit of freelance writing for the Times of India and three other publications,” adds Sylvia. “Because I wasn’t formally trained as a journalist, I had started building up my portfolio via freelancing and writing stories,” shares Sylvia, who has also worked with the Economic Times.

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Sylvia moved to Dubai in 1996, where she worked for the Gulf Today as a features writer. “I had a nice time because it was just starting, so we had the freedom to explore and write articles,” she adds.

“I went on to writing for a few international public publications in the U.S., and I went to Mexico to study Spanish, and I started working for a public newspaper there as well,” she recalls.

But amid the fast-paced newsroom culture, another slower, quieter pull had begun.

Falling in love with clay

During her journalistic journey, Sylvia realised her passion always lay in ceramics and pottery. So in 1999, Sylvia stepped into Golden Bridge Pottery in Pondicherry, one of India’s most respected ceramic studios.

Under the guidance of master potter Ray Meeker, she learned to throw, fire, and glaze with discipline and freedom. “Clay demands presence,” she says.

That same year, she met John Pollard, a British adventurer, white-water rafting expert, and nature lover. The connection was instant. Their shared love for the outdoors and creative, offbeat living laid the foundation for a life less ordinary.

‘We got lucky and bought the land’

In 2001, the couple moved to Dandeli, where John worked with the forest department to scout and map river routes. “I focused on my pottery and started doing what I was passionate about,” she adds.

During one of their treks in 2003, 60 kilometres away from their place, they stumbled upon a patch of dense forest, entirely untouched. There was no road, no path, and certainly no utilities. Just the sound of a stream, rustling leaves, and the whisper of possibility.