Rajesh Kumar, a native of Patna who works as an electrical engineer, has lived in a lot of different places in India for both his education and job. But no matter where he went, his thoughts kept returning to his grandfather's ancestral farm and home, which he had lovingly maintained for years.
He used to spend a lot of time on the farm with his grandfather, helping him plant trees or just playing in the dirt. It was his favorite pastime, and the house grew dear to him, he said. He then migrated to cities such as Kolkata and Chennai, but never had the opportunity to create a home like that one, as he had wished.
So, when he was ultimately transferred to Patna in 2012, he was able to finally make his dream come true. "My grandfather's house was in Phulwadi, and my family and I still live there. There was a vast garden of roughly 7,000 square feet in his home. My uncle and father used to do traditional farming there, but they quit when they got work elsewhere," Rajesh recalls.
The 31-year-old was inspired by his childhood memories to build his own home with a beautiful garden, which is nothing short of a sanctuary in the concrete jungle. When Rajesh returned to Patna, he saw that things had changed. The huge farms of greenery and beauty were no longer there. As a result, he decided to recreate the Patna he recalled, in his garden.
He began by planting mango, litchi, guava, amla, neem, coconut, orange, banana, and other fruit plants. "I wanted to start a little farm." But I ended up planting two or three different varieties of each plant," he exclaims. In the garden, there is a living area where small parties can be held. Rajesh plants 20-25 species of seasonal vegetables in addition to fruits. They are distributed to neighbors and family members after harvesting.
A pond sits in the middle of the garden, in addition to the lush garden. Rajesh says that he came up with the idea while living in Kolkata. "Every Bengal house has a pond," he adds, adding, "something I took note of and implemented here."
In this pond, he practiced fish farming. He harvested 150 kg of fish from it last year, which he shared with friends and family. He's considering selling the fish he's caught this year. In the farmhouse, he has also raised cows, chickens, bunnies, and dogs.
Shivi, Rajesh's four-year-old daughter, shares his passion for farming. She is devoted to her father and spends every day watering the plants or picking vegetables.
"Another goal of this farm was to pass on to my daughter the experiences I had as a child." He smiles as he says, "I'm glad she likes it. "Everyone should maintain their connection with nature since it helps us live a healthy and happy life. The very least we can do for the kids is something similar. They'll thank you eventually, just like I do now for my grandfather."
