Heritage Home in the Himalayas

I just came back from a wonderful vacation from the Himalayas. I have visited different places in these glorious mountains so many times but every time I reach out to them, I bring back wonderful memories and a sense of serenity. This time, I brought back peace and a little treasure built by my friends Dipti & Partha Roy.

Bipin and I decided to visit Partha & Dipti in Dalhousie this summer. We needed to cool off a bit. What could be as exciting as travelling into the Himalayas and spending time with your best ol' pals? We both were really looking forward to see them and their little girls. I was also looking forward to see how both my friends had put their creative levels into various things they do. Let me tell ya, being innovative is in their genes and I was sure I would see a lot of it here.

So let me start with who these dear friends of mine are. Partha is the most fun loving friend I have ever had. He is a dedicated army officer or rather he is called Partha Roy, an artist who makes the best caricatures in the world and a very devoted father. He is one person who strives hard to learn new things and loves to explore everything. You can see it in his eyes, his work, his home which is so splendidly put together.

 Dipti is my college buddy and I guess we have been friends for almost 17 years. She is a pass out from NIFT and graduates in accessory designing. She has an eye to create beautiful things from the smallest of objects. A talent which comes out when I see her fabricate things around her home, a talent when I see her bring up her children or a talent when I read her prose and poems! Splendid!

I knew when I would be back, I would carry something home with me, I knew they would give me a whole bunch of ideas to write and share things with you. I brought back some beautiful pictures of their home. I couldn't have not written about it and shared it here on my blog.

So Partha and his wife are posted in this little town of Dalhousie deep in into the Himachali mountains. They have a home with 12 rooms which is recorded to be a 100 years old. It is a white washed angelic home sown into the Himalayan terrain with a pretty backyard charmed by their 3 dogs.

What made us love it the moment we entered was the porch or the lobby area of their home. Dipti created a beautiful partition with embroidery rings and lit them brightly. It spread a warmth at the entrance and partially hid the view of the long lingering porch which eventually became her dinning area. When I asked her why she used embroidery rings, she said she had heaps of them from her college days. She wasn't making much use of them and what could be better than making them a part of her home?

I decided to walk through this lobby, first into a very comfortable seating space which led into the the dining area. This leeway had a comfy bench covered with a pretty bedcover. Me being inquisitive, I tucked under the it and saw how creatively she had arranged her enormous army trunks and made it in to a long seat. She explained that they leave stations every 2 years and have so many of them to pack their stuff in. Instead of  dumping these trunks, she thought it would be wise to use them around the house with her little clever touch! Indeed...it was smart! :)

Slowly, as we walked into the room, we realized that this place was a labyrinth of rooms and doors all connected to each other. It took us a while to figure out that almost every room leads into another. Then...I walked into an area of high indulgence....an area which Partha could be at ease! As soon as Bipin saw this space, a huge smile occurred on his face. A smile that brought instant comfort to him and our hosts. Well guess what, it had a lovely drum set, a guitar and a synthesizer. To add to the excitement, it also had a lovely bar. Just like our home, the Roys made their "Leisure Lounge' as well. I named this room the "Musical Indulgence"!

Yet another room that I loved was their living room. This room was a little bigger and had a lot of artwork done by Partha. The walls were beautifully decorated with some lovely portraits he made. The ceiling of the entertainment centre was garnished with hand-made bamboo lamps made by Ditpi.

Coffee table and runners were adorned by little artifacts collected from their travels all over the country. Paper lamps trimmed the corners of this room making it cozy. What caught my eye was an exquisite red fireplace which was lit with a radiant bamboo lamp which made it look like a lit fireplace. All was so well kept and thought out.

A lot other things I cherished from my travel to this place besides this delightful home. I loved their clumsy dogs, their little angels who helped their mother maintain such a lovely home, the lovely barbecue that was made one night in the courtyard and above all, the love, warmth and the happiness my friends showered upon us!