The farm from the air: the house among old trees, the orchards and the red-roofed hangar
Sakhanpur, Corbett Country

Our Story: A Family Farm near Jim Corbett since 1952

A homestead is more than land and a house. It is a place a family chose to stay.

Where it began

In 1952 the family was allotted 300 acres of swamp forest in the foothills of the Himalayas. What followed was not simply the building of a house, but reclaiming from the jungle and making a home.

It began in 1950, when Dr. Inder Puri was sent on deputation through WHO to eradicate malaria in the Terai and settle refugees from Punjab & Bengal after Partition. This was the origin of the farm.

THE HOMESTEAD · SAKHANPUR · CORBETT COUNTRY · SINCE1952
The farm over time

A working story, still being written.

  1. Line drawing of the first settlement in the Terai, 1950
    1950

    The Beginning

    Sent through the World Health Organization to eradicate malaria and settle Punjab and Bengal refugees post-partition. As a token of appreciation, awarded 300 acres of land, now known as The Homestead.

  2. Line drawing of a tiger in the tall grass of the Terai
    1965

    Pioneering Days

    The area was dense forest, grassland and swamp, with tigers, elephants and deer. Life was rugged.

  3. Line drawing of a young farmer in the fields of the farm
    1965

    Anil's (Bunny) Early Years

    Anil, known to everyone as Bunny, inherited the land from his father, Inder Mohan Puri. He was a farmer, a businessman, a shikari in his youth and, later, a hotelier.

  4. Line drawing of Bunny and Amu Puri together at the farm
    1965

    Family & Partnership

    Bunny married Amita (Amu), who became the backbone of The Homestead. Together they made the farm a home, with a garden among the old trees.

  5. Line drawing of the mud huts and the first orchards on the farm
    1966

    Development of The Homestead

    Gradually the land was cleared and farming began, with orchards of mangoes and lychees. For almost fifteen years the family lived in mud huts with thatched roofs and oil lamps.

  6. Line drawing of a guest cottage among the trees at The Homestead, the farm stay near Jim Corbett
    2024

    Continuing Legacy

    Today the farm takes guests in thirteen rooms, and the family still lives in the main house. Their granddaughter, Deia Puri, has joined them in running it.

“We were married in a mud hut with a thatch roof on the Farm. All that you see, we built from there.”Bunny and Amu Puri
Portrait of Anil Puri
Anil Puri
A golden retriever
Portrait of Amita Puri
Amita Puri
Peanut, the dachshund
The minds behind The Homestead
A letter from the familySakhanpur, Corbett Country

Dear friend,

More than seven decades on, the farm still keeps its own pace. The old orchards still stand, ancient trees shade the paths, and the antique bullock cart still recalls our working years. In the evenings we gather at the Baradari, and guests have a way of becoming part of the conversation.

There is Glenfern, the restaurant, where meals are shared, and the Hideaway Rooms, the two cottages and the two suites, tucked among the trees. But at the heart of it, nothing has changed. This is a home first, and a retreat second.

When we first opened our doors, we made ourselves a simple promise: the farm would stay a farm, and the house would stay a house. Nothing here is staged. Walk the orchards, sit beneath the trees, share a meal, gather around the fire, listen to the stories, or find a quiet corner and be left alone. There are 170 acres to wander, and no pressure to go anywhere.

You are not simply checking in. You are being welcomed into a home that has been lived in, loved and shared for generations.

You are welcome here.

With love,

Bunny & Amu Puri

The farm today

Come and stay.

The Homestead at Corbett Country is the Puri family's farm at Sakhanpur, near Ramnagar and Jim Corbett National Park. A hundred and seventy acres remain, with thirteen rooms for guests in the Hideaway Rooms, the two cottages and the two suites.