The brainchild of actor and philanthropist Prakash Raj, ‘Life at Prakasham’, located near Shamshabad, is curated and handled by his wife choreographer Pony Verma.
Hyderabad: How long have you been thinking of running away from the pandemic and the chaos all around?
If you are looking for a chance to escape to a location that offers nourishment to your soul, the quest ends at ‘Life at Prakasham’.
Nestled in serene natural beauty, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, ‘Life at Prakasham’ near Shamshabad is a perfect recreational getaway for people who want to savour the beauty of nature and also experience rural life. The brainchild of actor and philanthropist Prakash Raj, ‘Life at Prakasham’ is curated and handled by his wife, celebrated choreographer Pony Verma.
Born during lockdown
“The idea was born during the lockdown last year. We realised a lot of people would like to experience and enjoy simple living,” recalls Pony Verma. And Prakash Raj then went on to develop the place during the lockdown.
“Actually, the idea was to have a vacation for extended family and friends every new year. We thought let’s build rooms for them. With the properties that we have in three different States, Prakash Raj came up with the idea of setting up such spaces,” she says. The concept also generates employment for local people there in the villages.
“We thought of creating a little farmstate rather than making it a resort. Prakash Raj himself designed every room in the space. Like his thoughts of protecting nature and philosophy of sustainable living, the farm is completely chemical-free. Even the swimming pool is chlorine-free where my son Vedhanth takes a dip everyday,” says Pony Verma.
She adds, “There was a time when we thought we can’t live without a gym, theatre, or shopping. But the last eight months went really well for my whole family spending time here.”
Pony Verma says Prakash Raj’s inclination towards nature drove him to come up with this concept. ‘Prakasham’ at Chennai was a villa that is supposed to be their house, she says. “It’s a very beautiful property closer to the beach. Mahabalipuram is another picturesque location where we own a piece of land. ‘Life at Prakasham’ is also coming up in Mysore. We’re building that too, however, it will take time to complete it. We thought of doing these three first,” she explains.
Work from farm
“It’s a pandemic and people are stuck in apartments and the work from home mode is still continuing. This is the place where people can come with their families and work too. And with the home-made food, visitors feel like home away from home. The idea was to design it like a retreat rather than a regular resort,” says Pony Verma. There is a professional chef too preparing a wide variety of dishes.
“There is no television and a family could spend time enjoying indoor games. And books in the rack help reboot your soul,” adds Pony Verma.
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