During the Haryana Food Tour, Anubhav went over to explore a beautiful farmstay situated at the village of Mangar. Nestled amidst thick vegetation and hillocks, Laksh Farms is a place perfect to unwind and relax in the lap of delightful trees and vegetation.
Established by the genial and gracious couple Shakti and Ila Lumba, Laksh Farms is such a serene and mesmerizing setting that presents a sustainable way of life. The farm had huge open spaces and even a swimming pool. It is run by a team of diligent workers who are from the nearby villages. The place promotes simple and sustainable living with focus on organic farming and traditional cattle rearing.
On reaching there Anubhav met the owner couple and then joined Sanjay Ji, one of the oldest employees at the farm who looks after the vegetation, for a farm tour. She introduced him to the various fruits and vegetables grown in the farm. The sight of the fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers filled us with sheer joy.
The farm also has a dairy section where they raise only indigenous cows whose milk is low on fat but is more nutritious than the hybrid ones. Here we met Nishu, the young dairy in charge who is such a caring and industrious caretaker. He looks after them, prepares their fodder and even milks them.
Soon after we headed to the farm kitchen where all the yummy traditional meals are prepared by a wonderful team of ladies headed by Rajjo Ji. All the vegetables, fruits and dairy products used in the kitchen come from the farm itself.
A resident of the nearby Mangar village, Rajjo ji and her co-workers prepare the food for the visitors. The woodfire oven design was super fascinating. It had four cooking areas and one central food heating area.
With all the warm, joy, enthusiasm and humour she along with her small team quickly prepared a hearty spread. She even extracted fresh butter using a wooden churner. We had a great time cooking with her because her conversations were really endearing and amusing.
Soon the lunch was laid out and Mrs Ila Lumba joined us for the same. The eating space was a well lit open area whose ambience was quite cosy. The spread included steamed rice, kadhi pakoda, kaddu ki sabzi, bajre ki roti, saag, gur ki roti, different condiments like karonde ki chutney, achar etc. and chaas. Everything was cooked and served in clay pots and utensils.
The food was so simple and soulful that it reminded us of the warmth and comfort of home. During the meal, Ila Ji acquainted us with other social activities that she and her husband were involved in and also shared some stories about the farmstay. Also in between Rajjo ji paid multiple visits to check whether we need anything or not.
After this light and satisfying meal we bid adieu to our hosts and went on a brief village tour especially to meet the family of one of the employees Kalu Ji and also to meet Ravinder Ji who is a talented mural painter from the village. His huge, bright and colourful paintings adorn every nook and corner of the village.
We had a great time exploring the farm and meeting the people over there. Hope you too would like this journey. Happy viewing.
LAKSH FARMS