Vacation for a cause at Navtej Johar’s village homestay

If city life is getting too chaotic for you to handle, head to this quaint little homestay in Punjab’s Chamaru village to reclaim your peace.

It was the farmers’ protest of 2020 that took Sangeet Natak Akademi award-winning dancer and yoga expert Navtej Singh Johar to this hamlet located in Patiala district. Chamaru has become his second home, where he has been living for over a year and a half now.

“Within months, I wanted to create a space to hold retreats for yoga and other somatic practices in the village. This led to renting another home inside the village to host my students. I’ve been able to hold a few retreats so far and the participants have all loved the space and want to keep coming back,” said Navtej.

Soon after, Navtej got involved with the local primary school and set up an NGO called Pehal, meaning initiative, that is committed to strengthening the basis of primary education in government schools by introducing time-tested methods of alternative learning.

“I have been trying to raise funds for the school project and would like the proceeds from the homestay to help in the running of Pehal which is so close to my heart,” he said.

The call of the open fields

The space – that Navtej likes to call ‘Nazara’, meaning ‘views’ – can also be booked as a homestay for people looking to experience the simplicity of rural life.  

The rooms are simple and charming. The food too comes from village homes at a nominal price. If the guests like, they can be invited into local homes for meals. This gives them an opportunity to mingle with the villagers and the owner himself, if he happens to be around. 

The upkeep of the home is done by village locals. 

The homestay offers three rooms at the moment with a functional kitchen to make tea and coffee and a little sit-out in the vehra (courtyard). At Rs 1,200 a night you can get a non-AC room. The one with AC costs Rs 1,500 per night. Food is not included in this price.

You can go for walks or bicycle rides in the nearby woods, through fields, or alongside the canal. Taking a tubewell bath is also possible. For those interested in Sikh history, there are gurdwaras nearby, and the historic Fatehgarh Saheb, where the two young sons of Guru Gobind Singh were bricked alive in 1704 by Wazir Khan, the then governor of Sirhind, is about an hour away by car.

Chamaru is an hour-and-a-quarter away from Chandigarh and about four-and-a-half hours by car from Delhi. For Delhi residents, Ambala is the nearest railway station, and a fast train from Delhi can reach Ambala in about two hours, that is only 16 kms from Chamaru. Car rides and pickups from the Ambala station are also provided by the villagers. 

And while you’re in Chamaru, don’t miss binging on delicious samosas at the local halwai (sweetshop). Pair this up with a cup of hot tea, and all your worries will be gone – at least for the duration of your stay here.

The lead image shows the homestay owner, dancer and yoga expert Navtej Singh Johar, soaking up the rural offerings of Chamaru village. (Photo courtesy Navtej Johar)

Teesta Rajan is the Associate Director of Village Vibe at Village Square. She is passionate about food, travel and culture.