Following his retirement, former banker Ashok Rao transformed his rooftop into a thriving garden — a project fuelled by his love for nature and a quest for change.

His 2,000-square-foot rooftop garden hosts over 200 plant species, with vegetables like tomatoes, coriander, mint, and spring onions.

Fruits are no strangers to this rooftop either. Mangoes, figs, pomegranates, sweet lemons, and oranges flourish, transforming the space into a veritable orchard.

Ashok finds joy in relying mainly on what his rooftop yields, rarely purchasing produce from outside.

“I refrain from buying any vegetables from the market. I prepare my salads and other meals using whatever I harvest from my rooftop,” smiles the 68-year-old.

Ashok and his wife Neeraja creatively use their harvest in daily meals, making dishes like tomato rice and mint rice and adjusting meals to match the rooftop’s yield.

Managing his diabetes, Ashok structures his diet around salads and minimal carbohydrates, relying heavily on the produce from his garden for meals.

Ashok found tranquility amidst chaos and discovered not just a hobby but a new way of life — one where each day begins with the simple act of tending to a leaf with care.

“For many years, we focused on our careers. Later, I decided to focus on what truly matters to us as we plan for the future,” Ashok shares.