In my experience mountains have a mind of their own – and can throw our mere mortal plans out of gear completely. So I suggest being careful and gentle in and about the place. The energy that Sonaugi has presented is extremely favourable – guests have told us they are hungry like never back home; that they sleep like a child and the mineral-rich water is so tasty that we often wonder if we should even run it through a filter.

10 years ago the day Lama Rigzin was making the foundation puja, rains came out of nowhere. The day Vivek finished registering this property, was the day that the resplendent Janna Devta was coming out of His Abode. Apparently, he steps out only once a year, not even during the famous Kullu Dussehra. He is the younger brother of Gamlu Devta of Mallana – the senior most Devta in the local pantheon and the villagers respect His pride-ful place.

Vivek participated in the festival and an elder of the village said it was the most auspicious occasion for a new entrant into the Village commune. Personally we wanted to join the village without sticking our urban rational finger at the local belief systems. These are age-old Shaman practices that have worked well with them. I suggest that folk must congregate in March for this most amazing & beautiful festival – although the practice of sacrificing of the male sheep & ripping out its heart is fairly gory and is recommended only to the sound-hearted.

Vivek and Rajesh plan to run a quiet guest house here – The Sonaugi Homestead. We don’t want this place to be run over by noisy-nosey hoards of tourists. A quiet-discreet group is welcome to come and stay with us to soak in the Golden Wheat (that’s what Sona-ugi means, I am told). It seems they found Golden-Wheat growing on this land at some point in time and that is why it was named.

The Sonaugi Homestead is a home in the jungles of Kullu. It is open to folk that don’t want to rush it up. Ones who would like to live easy a few days amidst their rushed-or-unrushed lives. Come to Kullu-Manali – you dont have to go there. Just languish, recharge, re-think, re-align, meditate, chill and hang-out. Come with friends, family and significant others to make a fulfilling time. Our place is not a resort – its not a hotel. Its a home from where many gentle directions may goad you into walking to nowhere in particular.