Manifestation works in wondrous ways. You spend days, months, even years envisioning how you want your life to be, and one day you wake up to the immensely happy realisation that you’ve created it for yourself.
Aarti was lucky enough to manifest the home she dreamt about as a child – one with high ceilings and an attic. A beautiful abode, where she could build her little universe. That is exactly what she did, in this small town in Darjeeling called Pandam. Aarti and her husband Nethai build their house themselves, and have added their personal touch to every inch of it.
Aarti and Nethai built most of this house themselves, even breaking stones and sourcing material from nearby cities. The three types of wood used for the house (Pine, Chaap and Tuni) are from the forest the couple owned. The tiles are fom Siliguri, and sand from the bed of the local river. The only help they employed was a carpenter to do the woodwork in the entire house.
Very few of us are lucky enough to proudly claim that we built our abode ourselves, with our blood, sweat, and unbridled love!
This dream home is located a little way away from the main town, enjoying the tranquility of the hills, and the conveniences of the city at the same time.
The interiors of the couple’s house reflect their interest, as well as their two daughters’. It’s filled artefacts of music for Nethai, traditional Nepali and Tibetan handicrafts for Aarti, and a plethora of books for their daughters.
‘Houses of India’ is our weekly photo-story project, where we discover one home, and its story. Follow us on Instagram @housingindia, and join us on this beautiful journey across the country.
