Jyoti & Akshay । France
Far from the city, at the foot of the mountains, we’re able to share traditional Nepalese life with a lovely family who welcomed us so warmly!
Three weeks of fresh air and oxygenation, both physical and mental—pure bliss!
As volunteers at Mount Mahabharat Homestay, we had to give our time in exchange for room and board, so we were able to discover their many activities! Organic farm, yoga retreat, trekking, guesthouse—they’re always busy here! Everyone has their role! Each member of the family knows what they have to do, and it’s a well-oiled machine after so many years.
Grandma Gopini’s domain is the kitchen. Because yes, everything starts there: eating well to then work well!
Grandpa, Gopi, does all the DIY and farm work.
Mom, Goma, takes care of the cows, the fields, the cooking… She’s everywhere and never stops!
Dad, Kamal, runs the communications agency, teaches yoga, and is the mountain guide.
Cousin Angel is preparing for high school.
Son Kushal is still in school but is very active on social media.
The second son, Jenish, is preparing for middle school.
after-celebrating-tihar-at-mount-mahabharat.
A large and beautiful family living in complete harmony with themselves, their surroundings, and their bodies, which they maintain by doing all these daily physical tasks while being vegetarian and eating only produce from their own organic farms
They have a wide variety of food, and aside from two or three items they have to buy, they are completely self-sufficient—what freedom! What wonderful produce! Corn and wheat, and therefore all kinds of bread and pasta products, are possible. Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, chili peppers, those “little pickles that prick your fingers” (we’ve forgotten the name), onions, garlic… to accompany the rice or bread.
Honey is cultivated within the walls, where the hives are created in a specially designed hatch—ingenious!
We are truly in awe of everything they do, with such good humor and incredibly positive energy, even though they allow themselves very little rest. It’s really beautiful to see them together.
And yet, everyone does what they want, when they want, at their own pace.
All of this was interspersed with sweet moments of connection, laughter, games, and contemplation…
We were given a truly wonderful experience these past few weeks.
Between working in the fields with an incredible view of the Himalayas,
treks/camping/tea at 3000m with a breathtaking view of the stars,
and all those family moments with a magnificent view of all the love they have for one another,
We were completely blown away!
The last few days were festive, as we participated in the Deepawali (Tihar) festival, celebrating the triumph of good over evil, one of the most important festivals in Nepal.
It’s an opportunity to show love and respect between sister and brother.
Dances, songs, decorations, traditional outfits, and gifts are all part of the program for two days, even though the festival spans five days to celebrate animals and deities.
So here we are, as a family, sharing sweet and happy moments before leaving—a beautiful end to our trip!
Thank you to Kamal and the whole family, who gave us so many gifts, who nourish us from within, and who bring us so much joy!
