02 November,2010 06:48 AM IST | | Julia Callow
Diwali is the festival of lights but the accompanying fireworks can turn it into the festival of noise, and a nightmare for pet owners. If you're fed up of not being able to celebrate because you're trying to get your dog out from under the bed, why not try a weekend away from the city with your furry friends in tow?
Our Native Village, an eco friendly resort located at a 40km driving distance from Bangalore is giving pet owners the perfect excuse to get away from the city and spend some quality time with their beloved furry friends (think dogs and cats) and celebrate Diwali amongst nature.
"Everything we do has to do with healing the mind, body and soul. We don't allow any noise making crackers, so the animals feel safe here" founder CB Ramkumar says. "Last year we had some friends who came to us with their dogs, who knew we were also animal lovers. We've seen the trauma they go through, so we thought why not make a safe haven for these animals here? It seemed like the perfect thing to do," he says.
The Diwali celebrations start at lunchtime on Friday, with a festive meal from an oil free kitchen.
"Compassionate food", Ramkumar tells us, "doesn't contain any animal protein. It's about people putting love into their food and not hurting any animals." It's the same organic ingredients this eco-friendly resort uses in their healing programs.
After sunset, there's a bonfire and pet friendly, noise-free fireworks like phuljhadis, but be prepared to get up before the sun on Saturday. The auspicious Brahma muhurtham meditation begins at 5 am. "That's the time when the energy level in the atmosphere is at it's highest according to ayurvedic science," says Ramkumar. "Diwali is the start of the new year. The time when you renew, leave behind the negative stuff and take a step forward to wards the positive."
There's the option to stay on another night, so if you're too relaxed to rush off, you can spend an entire day enjoying your surroundings with your four legged friends. Take part in wholesome pursuits such as ayurvedic massage, yoga or kite flying, or just walk Rover around the grounds.
After all, the resort's ethos is "to help everybody reconnect to themselves, naturally, because when you do that you tap into a huge reservoir of joy, happiness and solutions to a lot of issues in life, including health," claims Ramkumar.
At: Our Native Village, 8802 Hessargatta Post Office
On: from November 5 to 7
Call: 080 4114 0909
E-mail: bookings@ournativevillage.com
For: Rs 7,800 for one night, Rs 12,900 for two nights
