H2O House: Where Nature Meets Culture
Nestled in the tranquil mountains in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, H2O House is not just a destination but a sanctuary where tradition and serenity intertwine. Here, your senses are gently awakened by the soothing sound of a waterfall, the crisp clean air, and the enchanting view of the mountains. By Aishwarya Kulkarni
Imagine escaping the relentless pace of city life to a place where time stands still. This is a place where every detail— from the rustic architecture to the locally sourced meals—is designed to nurture your soul. H2O House offers more than a mere stay; it immerses you in a way of life that celebrates a community, sustainability, and the timeless beauty of the natural world. It’s an experience that invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect with what truly matters.
During my recent visit to Chamba, I had the pleasure of staying at H2O House. Amidst the mesmerising views of nature, this homestay offered a warm welcome and a deep sense of belonging. On spending a week with the community that built and runs H2O House, I realised the power of design to create a true home away from home. It is an epitome of an example of how thoughtful design and community participation can create a sanctuary that nurtures the soul and fosters a profound connection with nature and tradition.
The visionary behind this special homestay is Manuj Sharma who describes the creation of H2O House as a deeply personal journey.
“It has allowed me to reconnect with my roots and contribute to the preservation of our heritage, while promoting sustainable living and supporting the local community. Seeing the positive impact on our guests and the community has been incredibly fulfilling. H2O House is more than just a homestay; it is a living testament to the rich history and culture of Chamba. It is a place where tradition and sustainability successfully coexist,” he says.
In a candid interview with Manuj Sharma, the visionary behind NotOnMap H2O House, we delve into the unique blend of history, sustainability, and community that defines this award-winning homestay in Chamba. H2O House won the ‘Gold Award’ by the Outlook Indian Responsible Tourism Awards (IRTA) 2023 in the Sustainable Leadership Homestay category and the ‘Sustainable Accommodation of the Year’ at SATTE 2023, amongst other national awards.
SCALE: How did H2O House come into existence?
Manuj Sharma: The original construction of H2O House is on land, with land records that can be traced to the 13th century, that was donated by the then king of the princely state to my maternal ancestors to run gharaats, water mills or grinding mills that used energy from the stream water to turn the mill that made wheat flour) that were pivotal for local communities.
Initially, the first structure was just a cowshed, along with a single room for the caretaker of the gharaat. The space was used to store harvest, known as lagaan in the local dialect, from surrounding villages. Over time, each generation preserved and enhanced the property in different ways. The pivotal moment that marked its transformation into a community hub was over 200 years ago when my great-grandfather provided shelter to a destitute woman. The structure remained largely unchanged until recent years when we made some necessary renovations to maintain its traditional essence while adding a local façade.
SCALE: What are water mills, and how significant are they in this region?
Manuj Sharma: While H2O House dates back to the 13th century, it was only with the guidance from experts like Padma Shri Anil Joshi and Anil Gupta from the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) that we learnt about the historical and cultural significance of water mills present in the Himalayan region that once had around 5 lakh water mills.
Our mill is a part of this heritage and remarkably, the only structure, worldwide that has preserved a functioning mill from the 13th century.
H2O House was the prime hub for villagers, who came here to grind their wheat, thus making it a place of significant importance to the entire surrounding community. Over the years, the team of H2O House, along with experts and communities in the area have helped revive eight gharaats, thus generating livelihoods and reducing carbon footprints.
The function of the House remained the same until the late 20th century. For example, in the 1990s the House was used as a workshop for stitching clothes using local textile for Femina Miss India contests; the space was also briefly used for indigenous mushroom cultivation. In the past decade, it has also been used for numerous youth empowerment and meditation programmes. With time, we gained exposure to the ocean of opportunities that H2O House could evolve into.
SCALE: What role does sustainability play at H2O House?
Manuj Sharma: Sustainability is at the core of everything we do at H2O House. We have used durable local materials like channa stone, mud, wood, and slate for construction; the thin slate tiles cover the roof, while the thick ones are used for flooring.
My father, who had a background in architecture and forestry, was instrumental in guiding the construction process. His principles of maximising natural light and ventilation influenced our design. Most importantly, despite their high construction cost, all structures were constructed on rocky, non-cultivable land with a conscious effort to preserve arable land.
The H2O House is designed on four levels around the gharaat, with the top level as the entrance. As the lower-level rooms enjoy a view of the stream, the middle and upper-level rooms are nestled between the foliage of trees. Each room has a semi-private porch. Connected by a maze of steps, the rooms are intertwined with pause spaces, courtyards, a natural swimming pool (with water from the gharaat), and eating spaces.
Today, the site boasts diverse vegetation, including indigenous trees like Deodar, which thrive unusually well at this altitude. All furniture has been made from waste wood sourced from local markets and the Forest Depot, and it was designed by artisans from nearby villages.
SCALE: How did H2O House evolve from being an ancestral home to becoming an abode for travellers?
Manuj Sharma: In the past decade, our dependence on external agencies for funding the maintenance of the House had increased. We quickly realised that to continue our positive impact on the communities in Chamba and create a thriving space for them, we needed to reduce this dependency and follow a self-sustained financial model. Following numerous discussions with the pioneers and leaders in the community, namely Rakesh Shekhri, Vipin Rana, Dharam Chand, and Kumar Anubhav, we developed a plan of action to create a self-sufficient model.
We decided to open the doors of our ancestral home to like-minded travellers, i.e., sustainable travellers who could appreciate the H2O House’s cultural and historic significance. NotOnMap, founded by Kumar Anubhav, was then a budding venture (it is now one of the most prestigious rural eco-tourism companies in the world), and they helped us create a community that enjoyed homestays. Like most people in Chamba, our focus too has been to empower local communities and not just build personal gains. The local community was always tied to the House. We began with a stay for 10 people and can now host up to 40 people. The various awards we have won in ecotourism and sustainability have only reaffirmed our guiding philosophy.
H2O House is a bit secluded and located in a natural, pristine, and tranquil scenic location, away from the nearby bustling towns. A perfect mixture of homestay and rural stay in India, H2O House offers great views of the alpine jungle; travellers can listen to the sounds of nature—gurgling water and chirping birds—at all times. The sound of the water from the gharaat is one of our key highlights; it can be heard in all corners of the stay! The house has also proved to be an ideal place that nurtures creativity, and we often host many writing and painting workshops here.
As the name suggests, the rooms are built over water, and the sound of calming sound of the water can be heard all day. We have five rustic huts, each designed beautifully for modern comfort and luxury. Instead of using harsh direct light, our design uses incorporates indirect light. The various sitting areas amidst the woods, which offer an ideal escape from a busy corporate life, are also used by people as relaxing workspaces. We also have two nice sitting rooms where people can practice meditation, and yoga, eat meals, or simply sit with a book!
SCALE: How has the H2O House helped the surrounding communities?
Manuj Sharma: The day we decided to venture into eco-tourism, we decided that it would be a space for the community to showcase their talents and capitalise on them—to reduce distressed migration to nearby cities. The by-products are the various cultural experiences for the travellers that are led by the local community. H2O House trained members of the communities for various vocations in the field of hospitality and experiential tours and activities.
I firmly believe that to truly grasp the essence of the culture of any area, one must try the local food. We offer meals that reflect authentic Himachali flavours. We include traditional Himachali culture food such as pure black dal (lentils); madra, a regional recipe made with kidney beans; mountain herbal curries; probiotic curd; and various local vegetables with natural wood-fired ‘roti’ (bread).
Our food is ‘satvik’, i.e., it uses very little onion and garlic, serves locally-sourced vegetables and dal, and uses wheat and corn flour from the gharaat at H2O House.
One of the initiatives taken up by the local boys is taking the travellers to an 80-year-old local temple. We also organise community style meals, where the local communities serve healthy organic (desi) meals drizzled with ghee and wild honey. This further distributes the economy. We also arrange special heritage walks, where travellers take a stroll around the city of Chamba, which has a history spanning over 1,000 years. Each corner of the city has a story to tell, providing a rich cultural experience.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we initiated a women-led rural kitchen, the brainchild of Ms. Renu Sharma (one of the owners). This kitchen gave them the means to become financially independent, especially via cooking workshops for travellers. We refurbished a library, where children and youth from nearby villages came to study when the schools were closed. Currently, we are building a food processing and storage unit, where jams from local fruits and curries of Himachal can be packaged and sold, thus creating another source of income for the community.
SCALE: What has been the most recent architectural development at H2O House?
Anandam, the recently built large dining-cum-open area is our latest addition. We built this as a space, which can accommodate around 400 people, to serve large groups of people and host workshops, without disturbing the in-house guests. When we were designing this, we faced a lot of issues like procuring local materials, especially stones and clayey soil. Considering the poor soil-bearing capacity of the land, we had to introduce partial RCC construction in place of traditional construction methods. However, the upper floors and interiors use local materials. We didn’t touch any trees on the site; in fact, an existing tree passes through the entire structure.
SCALE: What does ‘sustainability’ mean to you?
Manuj Sharma: It is very simple. If a process, system, project, or even a building like ours, can sustain itself with the community’s support and involvement, it is sustainable. In today’s fast-growing and interconnected world, it is very easy to want more things than we need. Falling prey to that is what makes us lose our connections to our roots. For example, in Chamba, salt is the only commodity that comes from outside the district. Everything else is locally made. In theory, this is very easy, but the implementation—to sustain only with the things around us—is very difficult.
I am not an architect, but when it comes to architecture and design, I feel that locally sourced materials, local talent, and the symbiotic relationship with and the local community even after the completion of the building, makes a project truly self-sustainable
SCALE: What is your mantra for life?
Manuj Sharma: I believe that one should keep working hard without expecting short-term rewards. While building and growing the ecosystem at H2O House, we have continually been learning from any mistakes made. The efforts we made years ago have reaped us rewards today. If you keep putting in work, with a clean conscience, success is sure to follow!