# Our Story: A Family Farm since 1952 | The Homestead Corbett > How 300 acres of swamp forest near Jim Corbett became the Puri family's farm in 1952: mud huts, oil lamps, orchards, a runway and three generations. Canonical URL: https://www.homesteadcorbett.com/the-farm --- *Image: 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 farm over time ### A working story, still being written. 1. *Image: 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. *Image: 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. *Image: 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. *Image: 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. *Image: 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. *Image: 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 *Image: Portrait of Anil Puri* Anil Puri *Image: A golden retriever* *Image: Portrait of Amita Puri* Amita Puri *Image: Peanut, the dachshund* The minds behind The Homestead A letter from the family · Sakhanpur, 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. [See the rooms](https://www.homesteadcorbett.com/stay) --- ## Contact - Phone: [+91 80650 60570](tel:+918065060570) - WhatsApp: [+91 80765 10462](https://wa.me/918076510462) - Email: [homestead.reservations@pasban.co](mailto:homestead.reservations@pasban.co) - Address: Sakhanpur, Pirumadara, Ramnagar, Nainital District, Uttarakhand 244715 - Book online: [Check availability](https://www.secure-booking-engine.com/accounts/HXm66tqenYOx-VZR46IBBQ/properties/9abslHX38bCYOYCT99ArnA/booking-engine/web/source/4wsctBw6Oq6j-g9XuxeRzQ/cart/tWhaCGUnUsBvdJFdgrw6Sg/#!/rooms)