Amidst serene surroundings

A cul-de-sac in a quiet corner of Magrath Road opens out into a driveway that seems to go on forever. It leads to the home of Ashok and Susan Fernandes. Its tastefully decorated white

-walled serenity exudes an old world charm  that is rarely found in the manic, urban jungle we live in today.

Dating back a hundred years and passing from one British owner to the next, the house was rebuilt in 1947 for the members of the British racing fraternity and originally set in six-and-a-half acres of land complete with running track, stables, jockey quarters and trainers’ houses.

 “When we first bought this house and the land around it, we planned to live in it just for a bit while our new house was being built round the corner. In no time this house grew on us and we decided to carefully restore and refurbish it keeping in mind its rich past, the needs of our family and our special interests,” says Ashok.

An airy, open verandah, a red-oxide floor gleaming like polished rubies, rooms that run seamlessly into each other, dark wood cabinets and sparkling crystal, the carefully chosen pieces of art simply add to the ambience which speaks of a lifestyle and a timeless quality of life that has been carefully retained and cultivated.

Ashok has plenty of space to indulge in his passions of gardening and pheasant rearing in the spacious grounds flanking the house. These exotic birds with their colourful plumage are carefully reared, along side comic bantam hens imported from China who strut their stuff around the backyard clucking softly. Dogs are housed away from the livestock while vegetables and fruits of infinite variety are grown organically, from strawberries to custard apples, hybrid tomatoes to coffee beans.

Flowers are plentiful, from exotic orchids to shaded hibiscus and are extensively propagated to be shared with friends and other gardening enthusiasts. Pesticides are made from chewing tobacco leaves and the bird droppings and vegetable waste are turned regularly into manure. Solar energy and water harvesting units make the whole property eco-friendly and self-sustaining.

First time visitors are always dazzled by a vibrant mural painted on two walls in the living room by M F Hussein, an old friend of the family. “My mother enlisted Hussein’s help to persuade me to buy a home and he asked me to keep two walls blank for him when I did. Eleven years down the line, he returned to keep his promise and it holds a lot of sentimental value for us.”

“The house came with thick lime and mortar walls, 22 inches in diameter and still intact. Cement then was a rare imported commodity used very sparingly. We had to carefully reinforce the walls with chicken mesh and conceal the pipes that were snaking around the outside. The roofs and doorways were kept deliberately low in keeping with small statured jockeys who lived here so we had to be very careful while renovating them,” explains Ashok.
The house is always bustling with friends and extended family who share this wonderful, serene, urban space in the midst of a rapidly changing City.