|
Our clayhouse was built in 2004 when we visited our parent's
farm in central India with our first child. On our previous visits we'd
always loved the atmosphere in the village houses. We would be invited
to tea in the evening by one of the farm workers and always feel
something magical within those clay walls. The clay oven, or chulla,
would be burning in the corner, casting wonderful hues of brown light
around the room. The woodsmoke would be gently drifting through the
thatch, and children would be scampering through the house or singing
around the fire. These were special moments for people more used to our
modern, urban environment. |
|
|
|
|
|
The house is built within the grounds of a 15 hectare farm
in a rural part of central India. At the heart of the farm is a dairy,
with some 50 buffallos and cows. But the farm is a mixed enterprise,
also growing rice, daal, vegetables and fruit for the Kamble family and
the farm's workers. There is a healthy mix of activity and peace that
makes this farm a wonderful place to be. |
|
|
|
|
|
The biggest asset on the farm are it's people. The family
emloys up to a dozen people to manage the cattle, irrigation and crops.
There's Diogi the ploughmaster, Devdas the Mistry, Lalita who looks
after the dairy, Sheila who does the housekeeping ... and many more.
These people bring the place to life through their warmth and
character, and we've grown to love and value them all; and they look
after our clay house when we're not there. |
|
|
|
|
