At the age of 43, Chandrashekhar Pandey decided to leave the fast-paced life of Mumbai and return to his small village in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. He started organic farming on the inherited land. Today, Chandrashekhar Pandey’s organic farm spread over 20 acres has become an example for many farmers in the country.
Chandrasekhar says that it was not an easy decision for him to come back to his village from Mumbai with his wife and children, but he had a dream that he wanted to fulfill.
In the beginning, he had to face many difficulties but his intention was strong, so all the difficulties gradually ended. He himself made arrangements for electricity, water, and road here, before that no facility was available to his farm.
Fruits, Vegetables and Herbs
He told the Ground Report that “due to the hilly terrain, farming here is difficult as compared to the plains, we made the land cultivable and started growing different types of fruits and vegetables, realizing the importance of the soil here. Our aim is to avail 100% organic products in the market. Apart from fruits and vegetables, many types of herbs are grown here.
Ashwagandha, Chamomile, Lemongrass, Lemon balm, Dandelion, Rosemary, Bhumi Amla, Amla, Ritha, Harad, Vantulsi, Ramatulsi, Shyama Tulsi, and many more herbs are being grown in Chandrasekhar’s farm.
Chandrasekhar’s family members also help him with farming work. The people of the village are also happy to see the work of Chandrashekhar who has come from Mumbai. Many people have got employment here and other farmers are learning new farming skills from Chandrashekhar.
Reverse Migration
The reason for returning to the village after working for 22 years in Mumbai was Chandrashekhar’s attachment to his village. People are constantly migrating from the villages of Uttarakhand towards the cities, but Chandrashekhar Pandey has set a new example by returning from the city to the village. He believes that if there is courage and passion, a person can do something better for his society wherever he is.
Chandrasekhar’s farm, famous as Bangla, also has a homestay and restaurant, where people can stay and detox themselves with organic products.
Chandrasekhar’s farm products are available under the name of Him Naturals. He has also been honored by the government for this work.
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