Peter Patrao asked, “Would you like to be the wife of a poultry farmer or an academician?”
Mona Irani blurted “Farmer, of course!!!” – that’s how it all started way back in 1972 when they bought a 2-acre land for INR 5,000 which was later named “Red Stone Organic Farm”!
Built with red bricks procured from levelling the piece of barren land that was bought from a loan, Red Stone Organic Farm was Peter and Mona Patrao’s dream of running an ecological empire. What you leave with is their journey of achieving their dream – the best organic farmstay in Panchgani.
Located right on the side of the road that leads to Mahabaleshwar, the name plate of ‘Red Stone Organic Farm’ might be obscure due to the growing wilderness around it, but Google Map directs you to the exact location. A short roughly pebbled path takes you to the gate which remains guarded by three friendly yet cautious dogs who notify the owner of your presence. The incessant barking brings Mrs. Patrao to the doorstep where she welcomes you and leads you to your room.
Redstone Eco Centre and Organic FarmStay in Panchgani
A Little History of The Place
Situated in Panchgani, a hill station in Maharashtra which is best known for being featured in blockbuster films like Raja Hindustani and Taare Zameen Par, this organic farmstay in Panchgani is a two-acre farmstead with two cows, three dogs and a cat. This wonderful rustic farmhouse is for nature lovers who wish to experience sustainable organic living.
A daughter born after three sons to Jal Irani, who had taken a bold decision of shifting from Bombay to Panchgani in 1930’s, Mona Irani grew up with her siblings on the banks of the Venna Lake. An outdoorsy child, she met an academically brilliant guy called Peter Patrao when she was just 10; by 12 she was completely smitten with him and they rest as they say “is history”.
She met an academically brilliant guy called Peter Patrao when she was 10, by 12 she was completely charmed by him. When Peter Patrao was endowed with the opportunity to head to US for his PhD he had wittily asked Mona Irani “Would you like to be the wife of a poultry farmer or an academician?”, she blurted “Farmer, of course!!” – that was more than half a century back in 1972.
Post their nuptials they bought a 2-acre land for INR 5,000 to turn it into a poultry. But as fate would have it, owing to financial constraints they had to turn it into a farm instead. A rocky piece of land that required levelling, they ended up harvesting red stones, and the namesake – “Redstone Farm”. This was the beginning of a wonderful journey of running an organic farmstay in Panchgani!
Once a barren land without a single tree on the plot, the couple toiled hard to give it the green cover it is today. To enhance his knowledge on farming Peter Patrao even pursued a course in Permaculture, which was still an alien concept in India in the 1980’s. In fact, they were the first outside settlers who cultivated strawberries in Panchgani!
There was only a small pocket near Mahabaleshwar where the locals were growing strawberries. Peter and Mona’s mali or gardener taught them to nourish the strawberries. Till then no one had tried cultivating strawberries in Panchgani. Their strawberry harvest was doing so well that Mona was stationed for a while in Bombay and was selling directly to five-star hotels.
However, it was only one stage that they were focusing on but the other stages like marketing needed finance, time and energy so they decided to stop and concentrate on farming.
With Peter Patrao’s demise in 2012, and daughters living apart, Mona Patrao was left to manage this organic farmstay all on her own.
A Bit About The Enigmatic Chemistry Teacher, Peter Patrao Who Taught Mrs. Funnybones When She Was Studying At St.Peter’s!!
You read that right!! Peter Patrao taught Twinkle Khanna, who is popularly known as Mrs. Funnybones. I wouldn’t have known, had I not had the opportunity to read an article that she dedicated to her beloved, bearded, bespectacled teacher – Peter Baba!
Remembered fondly by Mrs. Khanna as the smarter version of Robbie Williams in her article, who had a unique way of teaching the periodic table through poetry was perhaps the only teacher with any memory of Freddie Mercury (of Queen fame – Bohemian Rhapsody whose actual name was Farrokh).
A maverick at heart, Peter Patrao, like his unconventional self, encouraged his students to think out of the box and not just be confined to the lessons inside the classroom. But his claim to fame was cultivating strawberries successfully in Panchgani and also teaching locals his method of growing that they were quick to adopt. Unfortunately he passed away in 2012 and now his wife Mona Patrao looks after the farmstay.
Interesting Facts About Redstone Farm and The Owners
- Recently a movie directed by R Balki starring Abhishek Bachchan has been shot !!!
- This is the place where the first successful strawberries were grown in Panchgani.
- Mona Irani, a Parsi married Peter Patrao, a Mangalorean Christian when she was just 18!
- St. Peter’s, the school where Freddie Mercury, the lead vocalist of rock band Queen studied is hardly 10 minutes from Red Stone Farmstay!! And Mona Patrao’s husband and brother had studied in the same school as him!
- You will find saplings that have been planted in the shape of various Mandalas like Siddhivinayak mandala, the Durga Mandala, Mahalaxmi mandala etc. that the host will explain during the farm tour.
- Influenced by stalwarts like Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Elm Hurst and Carl Rogers, Mona opened a school called Redstone Farm Home School for Ovnar, their second daughter. When Oovi was 11 they wanted to home school her. On hearing of their decision, their friends wanted to send their children too. So, for three years between 1998 to 2000 they taught 15 children where they had an eclectic approach of children leading the class and not teachers – it was a safe environment for children to share their thought process, dialogues and encouraged to speak freely of their fears and joys.
- With no concept of homestays earlier, when people used to ask if they could stay at Redstone farm, Peter and Mona would pack their things and immediately leave their room to accommodate guests.
About The Organic FarmStay in Panchgani:
Red bricks, mud and cow-dung for plaster and other eco-friendly elements have been used for the construction of this homestay that still remains ‘work in progress’.
A farm that has lemon, kale, strawberries that would give runners, bananas, wild balsam, the leguminous Indian Laburnum that has nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Rhizobium and many other plants that would help to keep the soil fertile and produce organic vegetables and fruits.
The red bricks that were harvested while leveling their rocky land were used to build the house. They constructed on the go. In fact, construction is still in progress bearing in mind the concept of eco-friendly. Some walls are plastered with mud and cow dung.
While Mrs. Patrao resides in the annex with minimal amenities, the rest of the main house has five rooms on the upper floor and two on the ground floor – detached from the annex and open to guests. Although every room is blessed with garden, farm, or forest area views but ensuite bathroom is not endowed with all rooms.
The ground floor has a room adjacent to the common deck and another room known as the Harry Potter Room for its trapdoor that leads to the room! Along with the two rooms, ground floor has eight Western style clean and well-maintained washrooms with water jets.
The accessible area in the main building is blessed with a lot of shared spaces like the decks with good views, sit out areas, library, game room, large kitchen and indoor dining room and indoor sitting area.
The farm, which is Mrs. Patrao’s pride, houses lots of vegetables and fruits where she consciously identifies specific species that create a symbiotic relationship with each other organically protect plants from infestation and also enhance fertility of soil. For eg. – lemon, kale, strawberries would give runners, bananas, wild balsam the leguminous Indian Laburnum that has nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Rhizobium.
Saplings have been planted in the shape of various Mandalas like Siddhivinayak mandala, the Durga Mandala, Mahalaxmi mandala etc. that reflect her belief in the chakra energy and that balance prevails at the centre.
Exciting Experiences Offered:
This living space is not just about merely a stay but a window to everything natural that grows around the property. And Mrs. Patrao takes the initiative to walk you through it and the processes that follow.
- A complimentary farm toured offered by Mrs. Patrao where she provides a detailed insight of the various fruits and medicinal plants that can be cultivated organically.
- You get to taste the home-made kombucha that is offered after the farm tour.
- Lessons on how to grow mushroom.
- You can enjoy scrumptious homemade meal on order (the meals have to be requested well in advance).
- For an extra charge for firewood/charcoal (INR 300), you can use a rudimentary grill and also a fireplace on the common deck.
- You can go on a 20-min hike to a plateau which lies behind this organic farm stay. Away from the din of the Kaas Plateau, this ended up being the highlight of our trip.
Things To Remember
• Do not feed the dogs and cat (if you want to, do seek permission from the host).
• Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar have been declared as Eco sensitive zone. All plastic and non-biodegradable waste should be avoided and if brought should be taken away if brought in.
• This is a self-service sustainable space and not a serviceable space so you are requested to pick up after yourself.
• Special requests can be considered when it concerns elderly and children.
• Since this is no restaurant where food is ready to be served, you should select items for breakfast, lunch and dinner and intimate the host well in advance.
• Light use of the kitchen is permitted for baby food, seniors or health related special needs.
• Morning cup of tea/ coffee may be prepared by you in the kitchen – dry ingredients like tea, coffee, sugar and powdered milk will be provided but no cow milk.
• All utilities and space should be left as it was when you started.
• Loud music should be avoided.
• Check in time is 1.00pm. Check out 11.30 am. Flexible on request.
• Jio network works very well here. There is also a 60 MBPS BSNL wifi and an inverter.
• Hot water for bathing is provided once a day after 9.30 am in the morning.
• Soap is not available for bathing and washing but Shikakai is.
Shikakai has been used since ages for bathing and is a more sustainable form of living. But if soap is required then it is better to carry a tiny one.
Tariff:
1. On Airbnb – Book here
Starts from INR 3195 including taxes (mentioned on Airbnb).
The second room on the ground floor is the only room with an attached bathroom. It can be booked on request with an extra charge of INR 1000 extra per day. Extra person beyond 3 will be charged Rs. 950 per head.
2. Call & Book
If booked directly it will be cheaper. So, in case you are interested you can directly connect with Mona Patrao
Contact:
Phone: 9423866396
Email: redstoneorganicfarm@gmail.com
Address: Redstone Eco Centre and Organic Farm
Bhose Village, Panchgani – 412805
Landmarks: Opposite Temptations, near Strawberry Inn
How To Reach The Organic Farm Stay in Panchgani
Panchgani is one of the most frequented weekend getaways both from Mumbai and Pune. Although way closer from Pune than from Mumbai, its still a favourite among Mumbaikars.
By Bus
The cheapest and affordable means to reach Panchgani is by bus. The journey takes around five and a half to six hours and there are several Tours & Travels from where you buy your tickets or can book on Redbus, Makemytrip and so on. The bus would start from Borivali and would take the Western Express Highway to pick passengers from designated points. And once Google maps shows the location of the stay, you can hop off.
By Train
There are no direct trains to Panchgani from Mumbai, so travellers can off-board at Satara, Khed or Chiplun and then travel to Panchgani by bus or car which is around 30-40 kms away. But the best would be to get off at Pune station since Pune is well-connected although it is 108 kms away from Panchgani. From Pune station a cab can be hailed.
By Car
The fastest way to reach is by car. There are three routes to consider when travelling to Panchgani from Mumbai
- Mumbai – Navi Mumbai – Khopoli – Lonavla – Pune – Khandala – Wai – Panchgani – Red Stone Organic Farm
- Mumbai – Navi Mumbai – Khopoli – Pali – Kolad – Mahad – Mahabaleshwar – Panchgani – Red Stone Organic Farm
Most preferred route is Route 1 as it saves around an hour and a half, compared to the other one!!
Best Time to Visit
Anytime is a good time to visit Panchgani. Summers to beat the coastal heat. Monsoons – to enjoy the rains, green cover that soothes the eyes and random nameless waterfalls where you can stand, take pictures or just taken a break from snaps and get drenched. And winters are equally pleasant and not too cold like Mahabaleshwar.
While many may feel the need to be pampered during a vacation, it is equally important to feel closer to nature in order to understand the ecological services that the various ecosystems are providing us for our smooth lifestyle, that we are mindlessly exploiting and depleting for our needs.
While this space has its own rustic charm, what fascinated me was Mona Patrao, who was way ahead of her time, resolute, followed her ideologies and principles whatever the circumstances be and her persistence in bringing about a change through her conscious living. Her enthusiasm to share her knowledge and experience so that others can become conscious of what nature has provided us and how we can protect them. That level of focus takes a lot of courage, resilience, and grit – for which she is revered in her community and won my heart!!
So, if the monotonous city life has gotten to you and you are craving for a non-luxurious stay where you are happy to do your chores and live humbly amidst nature then this is the place for you. Not only that, every corner of this farm stay has a story to tell and a piece of history attached to its existence!
P.S. – Mona Patrao does need volunteers (preferably long term) to help her with the homestay and for the volunteers the stay would be free.
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