Why We Chose to Quit Our Jobs in the US & Build a Mud Home on a Sustainable Farm

For this IIT topper couple, building a mud house was more challenging than clearing JEE (Joint Entrance Exam). In search of a sustainable life, Sakshi Bhatia and Arpit Maheshwari quit their cushy corporate jobs in the US and returned to India.

They have set up a farm called Jeevantika in a village called Badnagar near Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh.

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“We led a very hectic life in the US. We couldn’t build a balanced, healthy lifestyle. That is what prompted our search for an alternate living, close to nature,” says Arpit.

They went to Auroville, Tamil Nadu, and learned about natural farming. After that, they build a mud house in Badnagar. Their mud house has no fans or electricity, yet remains cool even during summers. It doesn’t have a refrigerator too.

“We shifted to this small town to live here. We grow our food on this farm and have created some spaces in the farm where people can come and stay with us,” says Sakshi.

Their farm, which is spread across 1.5 acres has both fruit-bearing and wild trees to maintain ecological balance. The couple grows almost everything they consume- like fruits, vegetables, pulses and cereals.

Watch how they built this mudhouse, and more about them in this video:

Edited by Yoshita Rao