Far from the maddening crowds of the cities, a dream holiday in the rural heartland and that too in plush farmhouses is something you see in only Yash Chopra’s movies. Now Punjab is selling this idea to tourists. Owners of 23 farmhouses have come together with the Punjab Heritage and Tourism Board to offer tourists experience of a village life, combined with the comforts of staying in a luxurious farmhouse.

The Tourism Department and the farmhouse-owners have been inspired by the success of Citrus County, a farmhouse near Hoshiarpur owned by Harkirat Ahluwalia and his wife Jasveen. The couple, both in their 30s, started only two years ago and now has six air-conditioned tents on their farmland. The response has been good, with tourists from within the country and abroad visiting them regularly.

The farmhouse-owners know that there is a whole new market waiting to be tapped — city dwellers who want to get away from the dust and grime for a rejuvenating weekend. But why shouldn’t they head to the hills instead? Abjinder Singh Grewal, the owner of Gary Farm near Patiala, smiles as he asks: “Have you ever seen a ‘toodi da kupp’? Visitors to my farm insist on getting a picture clicked with it. It’s a straw shelter for wheat husk, tied at the top with a rope. They want pictures clicked at the tubewell, fishing at the pond, standing in the paddy fields in ankle-deep water, with cows and buffalos being milked. Where will they get such an experience in the cities?” At Gary Farm, an hour-and-a-half drive from Chandigarh, the charges are Rs 1,500 a night per person, all meals included.

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