In the sleepy town of Kalimpong lies the Palighar homestay steeped in tradition and authentic rustic life.

The two-bedroom homestay connects guests with the local culture, food, flora and fauna.

Born and raised in Kalimpong, West Bengal, the couple running the homestay, Ahana Gurung and Kabir Pradhan, were childhood friends.

“We moved to different cities for our education and job but we longed for our home. That longing brought us back,” shares Kabir.

“Working outside is a common trend and the people from our generation never really come back home. Kabir and I always had this idea, that we would come home and do something that would employ more local people,” Ahana shares.

“We were fortunate enough to have ancestral land in a great location to begin with. While Kabir worked on building the property, I worked remotely to market the property before finally moving back,” says Ahana.

In 2018, Palighar opened its gates to its first guests. Since then, the homestay has hosted over 500 happy guests.

Wanting to preserve the traditional culture, Kabir decided to use a traditional technique called Irka to make the home. The technique involves using bamboo, wood and mud to make the home. The mud, mixed with dung and straw, is plastered on a wooden frame woven with bamboo.

Additionally, Kabir explains, “We also made mud bricks which are baked in the sun. We used the land from our own property, which helped us reduce our carbon footprint.” Using mud has a dual vantage. It acts as a natural coolant, says Ahana.

The homestay encourages guests to compost kitchen waste and leaves. Kabir is more than happy to show guests the process of mulching.

Guests can have a great time watching birds here. “We see a lot of different insects and birds flocking in the area such as Rent Vented Bulbul, Common Tailorbird, Gray Treepie etc” says Ahana.

In their spare time, guests are encouraged to trek, learn terrace farming, make trips to the Relli river, and attend cooking classes.