Aranya Agosh by Shoonya

As you enter Aranya Agosh, you’ll find yourself on the Miyawaki Walkway that winds past flower beds spilling colour, several native trees, shrubs, and ground-covering herbs. Following the tenets of Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, the Miyawaki Walkway is an attempt to plant native tree species that help in water conservation.

Every year, we plant trees during the monsoons. This year, we planted some 200 native trees (Deodars) that help in water conservation through their root system. The 0.5 acre area at the property has more than 1000 plants, mostly native to build a mini forest. In fact, the name of the property itself means In the forest’s embrace (Aranya Agosh).

Water is the biggest commodity in our area. The region has faced drastic weather changes in the past few years. Rainfall is scarce, snow has stopped, temperature has started rising to 32 degree celsius during peak summer months. In this condition, it becomes extremely important to use water in the most sustainable way.

We have water harvesting tanks with a capacity of 80,000 L to save the maximum water we can during monsoons. It is our effort always to aprise guests about the scarcity of water in the region and urge them to use it in an efficient way. We discourage the use of flush and instead request them to use bucket water.

We have recently built a grey water treatment system to reuse the kitchen waste water for farming.

At Aranya Agosh, we offer guests an opportunity to move away from their daily routine. They have a chance to start their morning fresh with a village walk and have their breakfast at Letibunga’s most tranquil spots. They can spend their day with the natives in the village, observe their lifestyle, interact with them, and understand how they can help in the growth of the local community. We offer local Kumaoni food with materials sourced from the village or nearby areas to help the local economy as well.

Currently, we are planning all-women retreat to show our deep gratitude for the mighty nature.