After chef Noopur Chaughule’s parents decided to leave the city and settle in their ancestral hometown of Guhagar in Maharashtra, her visit home from Toronto became a turning point in her life. She started a venture called Ayra Farms, which offers stay, food, activities, and organic farming.

By Krystelle Dsouza June 13, 2023

After chef Noopur Chaughule’s parents decided to leave the city and settle in their ancestral hometown of Guhagar in Maharashtra, her visit home from Toronto became a turning point in her life. She started a venture called Ayra Farms, which offers stay, food, activities, and organic farming. Get inspired! Click here to read about the amazing people making a positive impact today!

“One day, I will build a farmhouse here,” Rajan Chaughule, a journalist from Mumbai, thought to himself in 2014, as he stood before his ancestral piece of land in Guhagar, Maharashtra.

Anyone who heard Rajan’s intent would laugh out loud, dismissing his thoughts as mere wishful thinking. After all, countless properties lay in ruins across the country. What made him think this particular piece of land would be an exception?

But Rajan believed it would.

Today, Ayra Farms — a farm stay situated six hours from Mumbai — is a nature lover’s dream with cottages that open their doors to lush gardens, hiking trails and more. As his daughter Noopur Chaughule, who is a culinary professional, recounts, it has been a winding path that has led the family to this moment.

“And the journey was worth it,” she says.