JOIN USBreak from home for a comfy stay
Gone are the days when one could take it for granted to go and spend holidays with grandparents, uncles, aunts or even with friends. There are options available now to enjoy a break and what better way than make use of the homestay facility. N Niranjan Nikam stumbles upon one such home in the city.
What does one do if one wants to read a book which he always wanted to read but did not have the time? What does one do to bond with the family as there is no time otherwise to spend with them? Does recuperating from a major operation help one to share time with kith and kin?
The answers to all these questions is the homestay which is gaining popularity, with even the state government coming up with a policy Atithi where certain conditions have to be met to start such a facility.
The city being a tourist paradise, a few people have cashed in on this concept. If one browses the internet for such an option, a few are available here. One such is a homestay tucked away in the quiet neighbourhood of Yadavagiri.
It is so well-concealed that it merges easily with the other homes around it. Only when one enters it, a different world suddenly opens up. “It is a satvic homestay where the hustle and bustle of a hotel room activity is not there,” said the owner K Narendra.
It has a very ethnic look to it with the wall rangoli painting depicting rural life also called the Haasay art decorating the walls attracts one’s attention.
“Homestays are bound by certain rules which the government has imposed which one has to adhere to. Like for instance the owner should live beside the homestay facility, there should not be more than five rooms, the owners should not use the land and building earmarked for other purposes,” he said.
The house earlier belonged to the principal of Chamarajendra Technical Institute E Ashirvadam and most of the furniture he himself had designed is still retained. The beautiful teakwood cots, the sliding doors which is remarkably designed with locking facility both from outside and inside, the open cloth stand with hangers takes one back to the era when life was much smoother and where there was time for eye-for-details.
Like in a home where there are books lined on the shelf, the collection includes books on wildlife, spirituality and a few coffee table books related to the history of Mysore.
“It is always a joy to share the history of the city with people who come here. There are also times when a few of the guests like to meet literary personalities, with whom they like to interact. At such times breakfast meeting will be arranged with the likes of S L Bhyrappa or a Prabhushankara if they are free at that time,” said Narendra.
The guests who come with their families have lots of options as the kitchen facility is available for them with all the gadgets. If they want to cook their own food they are free to do so.
The whole concept of a homestay is bed and breakfast. There are a few guests who come and just like to stay indoors, sit in the balcony facing the Ramakrishna Vidyashala swimming pool and read books. As one guest cheekily remarked to Narendra but it is a boys only hostel isn’t it?
The best part of the homestay is the time when the guests meet the family of the people running the facility.
“The time they spend with my octogenarian mother Seetha is something they all cherish and she also enjoys the special moments that she gets to spend with them,” said Narendra.
There are seven homestays in the city at present and each one of them has something different to offer, he said. Need a break from the humdrum of daily grind, head for a memorable homestay.