Dhimal youth comes up with floating homestay for tourists in Naxalbari

Sanchita Aich Bag | 20 Feb 2023 | SILIGURI: With an ever-increasing number of people wanting to escape the din and bustle of city life and the conventional hotels, especially in the Hills and foothills in the northern districts of Bengal, the Dhimal community living in the foothills of the Darjeeling district has come up with a floating homestay. 

Dhimal, one of the smallest communities in India, resides with a population of around 20,000. They live in different areas of the Darjeeling district. The population is mostly concentrated in the Naxalbari block under the Siliguri sub-division of the Darjeeling district. A youth belonging to the community has set up a floating homestay in the Mourijyot area in Naxalbari. 

It is said to be the first floating homestay in Northeast India. One of the rooms of the homestay floats on a pond in the area. 

It offers a dual experience — living in a floating accommodation along with residing amidst a community in a village. This homestay attracts a lot of tourists. Rupesh Kumar Mallick, the owner of the homestay said: “First, I saw the floating homestay on the Internet. After research, I decided to set up a similar one in a remote location. About nine families have already stayed there and the response is great.” 

The homestay has two more rooms and one restaurant. It is spread across two bighas of land. The pond is in the centre with floating accommodation. The other two rooms are on the land. The floating room has been made with iron, wood and glass. The cabin rests on a total of 14 drums (200 litres each) to keep it afloat. 

“It took around six months to complete the construction work. A total of five workers had set up the rooms. It cost around Rs 14 lakh to build the three rooms, including the floating one. I have plans to increase the number of floating accommodations in future,” said Mallick. The homestay was inaugurated six months ago by Raj Basu, Chairman of the Eco-Tourism department of the government of West Bengal. 

“This is the first floating homestay in the Northeast region. The homestay has been set up by the oldest people in the community. The experience is beautiful. More such homestays should come up in this region. It will help increase business,” stated Basu. 

The cost per person is Rs 1000 per day at the homestay. It includes dinner and breakfast. Lunch comes at an extra cost. On the floating accommodation, three people can stay at a time. 

The other two rooms can accommodate four persons per room. CCTV cameras have been installed and a security guard has been appointed. Bibhan Dhali, a visitor, said: “I never saw such a floating home in my life. It was an out-of-the-world experience. We thoroughly enjoyed staying here.” 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/dhimal-youth-comes-up-with-floating-homestay-for-tourists-in-naxalbari-509266