About Our Host

When Jaywant received a second chance at life, he decided to get back into the driver’s seat, and began a journey towards healing and self-love. This four-year odyssey, spanning seven states across India and fourteen countries across Asia, Central Asia and Europe, was one of recovery and rediscovering parts of himself that had been long dormant.

The catalyst for this exciting adventure was a miraculous recovery from a back injury that had plagued him for over thirty years. Pain free and carefree, Jaywant took to the road to fulfil his wanderlust. His travels took him to Kodaikanal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. His immersion into the cultural milieu of these places and effort to catch the pulse of a variety of people, with their differences and similarities, was an eye-opener, leading to a deeper appreciation for our country’s diverse geographical and cultural landscape.

The years 2013-14 were yet another turning point in Jaywant’s life as he embarked on a solo trip from Kanyakumari to

 Lisbon. The 36,000km long enterprise culminated in a reunion with his sons, Aditya and Devayu, in London.

Miriam Beard has rightfully said: “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” Upon returning home after quenching his wanderlust Jaywant turned to Mangaal to begin another of his life’s sojourns. This was a place to which he had always been drawn. With his passion reinvigorated, he decided to embrace a simple and sustainable lifestyle, one that focused on needs instead of wants. Drawing inspiration from nature – the best teacher – he has shaped Mangaal into a haven that centres around living mindfully and in harmony with the environment.