When it comes to holistic, sustainable living combined with ecological entrepreneurship—the trend many budding entrepreneurs across India are trying to adopt for the sake of the planet—Sagg Eco Village is definitely pioneering a way of life which is natural and steeped in the rich culture of the Kashmir Valley. Located in the mountains of the Ganderbal district, Sagg Eco Village is spread across 11 kanals of land nestled on the foothills of the famous River Indus.
Founded by Fayaz Ahmad Dar in 2016, the village promotes the idea that going back to Kashmir’s natural cultural and traditional past can not only provide you with a unique travel experience, but also inspire you to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. The village grows its own vegetables, fruits, poultry and meat, and traditional products like wuer (mix of herbs and spices), wild honey, dried apples, lotus stem, pickles and jams are also made and sold.
“Sagg is an eco-cultural, recreational, educational farm with camping facilities besides hosting, facilitating individual and group recreational stays,” Dar revealed in an interview with IndiaTimes. “This is completely a unique village where you can see we have created the things in woods and wicker. We have made small kothas (mud houses) and cottages out of mud so as to tell how old people use to live in the past and what we are missing now. We are also serving the food in the mud made utensils,”
The 37-year-old entrepreneur also revealed that they offer recreational camps and expeditions for children and families, which are led by women guides—who also help spread the local cultural wisdom and hospitality. Further, Sagg also offers eco-educational tours, seminars, career planning, mental health programmes and seminars for students, teachers, farmers, professionals as well as other social entrepreneurs hoping to venture into ecological entrepreneurship.
Image courtesy: Instagram/saggecovillage