Finding the rustic charm of a village in this megalopolis is easy. Haveli Inn at Ghodbander and The Village at Kandivili, make you forget that a world of skyscrapers, fancy cars and 7-staru00a0 hotels, even exists

The dictionary defines a village as "a small group of dwellings in a rural area, usually ranking in size between a hamlet and a town". But for city dwellers, it also stands for green fields, mud houses, ghaghra-clad women, an ageing jyotish sitting under a peepal tree and mothers roasting hot rotis on chulhas. It reminds us of the simple life (without Paris and Nicole, obviously). We dropped in at two make-believe villages in Mumbai, that will make for an ideal weekend visit.

Rajasthani performers at The Village. Pics/Aastha Atray Banan

How to get there

Nestled in the foothills on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, the Haveli Inn demands you take a bumpy ride. After getting off the train at Bhayander (E), we hopped onto an auto, no better than a bullock cart in keeping with the village theme. It didn't surprise us when our driver turned out to be a modern version of the village gossipmonger, who picked up and dropped relatives and friends during our 40-minute journey to the Inn.

What did surprise us was that as we got closer to the Inn, the roads got wider, and instead of being greeted by concrete structures, we encountered green hills and a soft, fresh breeze. The Gorai creek adds to the scenery, so, we suggest you drive here.

Those of you who have time constraints needn't venture that far; The Village at Poisar, Kandivili, is easier to get to. Just a 10-minute drive from the station, the theme restaurant is housed in Raghuleela Mall.

A terracotta doorman guards the entrance to Haveli Inn, Ghodbander Read Next Story Did Jesus spend his final days in Kashmir?› Trending Stories Latest Photos Latest Videos Latest Web Stories ADVERTISEMENT Mid-Day Fast ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT