From city life to village calm- rediscovering the place where my journey began
“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.”
— Maya Angelou
When you visit a centuries-old ancestral home after several decades, the air feels heavy with nostalgia.
This Christmas holiday in December 2025, I visited my mother’s ancestral home with my family — the very village where I was born, in central India.
For me, this was not just a visit. It felt like opening a treasure chest filled with golden memories of childhood. Summer vacations spent with cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents came alive again in my mind.
I remembered running around the farms, plucking ripe mangoes straight from the orchards, tasting fresh oranges, and breathing in air so pure that it almost felt new to my city lungs.
During this visit, I noticed that the place had undergone many changes and upgrades. The farmhouse where I was born was under renovation. Yet that did not stop me from stepping inside. The moment I entered the premises; memories came rushing back. I found myself narrating childhood stories to my son, almost as if the walls were helping me remember.
My cousin warmly hosted us and took us on short trips around the area. We visited the vast Narmada river and spent quiet time on its banks, soaking in the beauty and stillness. It is the largest west-flowing river in peninsular India
Being at the farm brought an instant sense of calm. Time seemed to slow down. The noise and rush of city life faded away, replaced by the gentle rhythm of nature.
The pristine surroundings, lush green fields, whispering trees, and the aroma of food cooked on a wood fire carried me straight back to childhood.
What touched me deeply was this — although the village and nearby towns had modernized, with better roads, electricity, and new houses, the soul of the village remained unchanged.
Life moves forward and change is inevitable. But this visit reminded me how important it is to stay connected to our roots — because that is where our stories begin.
“If you don’t know where you came from, you don’t know where you’re going.”
— Terry Pratchett