On the eve of her 10th birthday, Mahima Sukhdev’s parents Vinati and Pavan posed a very important question to her: How would you like to celebrate? They had imagined a wide variety of coloured responses — think along the lines of a little girl’s greatest fantasies — and weren’t prepared for the ask to be a trip to Mumbai’s Borivali National Park. “She had a since back then,” Vinati reminisces. Though humoured by their daughter’s request, the couple went ahead and planned the nature trip.
That day, Mahima’s friends returned home with beautiful return gifts — books that spoke of the birds and fauna at the national park. As Mahima grew older, her fascination for the outdoors only deepened. And whether it was nature trails, hikes, trips to safaris or afternoon picnics, her parents would always oblige.
Telling these stories gets Vinati chuckling. After all, she sees them as jigsaw pieces that played a role in fortifying the family’s tryst with nature. She says it was only a matter of time before Mahima’s passion rubbed off on her, her husband, and their daughter Ashima, and they grew as intrigued by nature.
Vinati, who is currently based in London, sees those years of innocence as the fabric that wove together the story of O’Land Plantation Stays — a 120-acre estate which she manages. Set in the , a geographic salient that is spread across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, the stay is an ode to responsible tourism. If you ever happen to be in Coonoor,.
