ASSAM: When Dikpal Lahan decorated the living room of his newly built house in Lahon village in Assam’s Lakhimpur district, he did it for love, not visitors. He filled the space with antiques that carried echoes of Assamese and British culture. After he shared photos on social media in 2017, visitors arrived.
He built the house beside his family’s 113-year-old ancestral home and hunted for objects that spoke of the past. His collection includes the “hati khujiya bati” (a bowl as large as the sole of an elephant’s foot), “dola” (palanquin), “hengdang” (Ahom sword), “khundana” (pestle and mortar), a 150-year-old bed, a 17th-century “hasipat” (manuscript), “bakdhonu” (musical instrument), a gramophone with the first Assamese telefilm “Jaymoti” record, coins, handcrafted Assamese items and British furniture.
Just as he thought of formalising visits, Covid-19 arrived. Confined to his house, Lahan used the time to build infrastructure. When travel resumed, he moved across the Northeast to learn why travellers might detour to an off-map district like Lakhimpur. He launched ‘Sustainable Village Tourism’ in January 2024 and, encouraged by steady footfall and income, resigned his pharmaceutical job to focus on the project.
“Ahom general-statesman Momai Tamuly Borborua had a concept that a house must have a pond. I had one, and I added value by building a stilt museum over it,” says Lahan.
He built a treehouse large enough to hold 25 people, saying he has not seen one as big anywhere in Assam. He planted fruit and flower trees that attracted birds. “I maintained cleanliness and beautified the entire complex with a low investment. People helped me. I built a vintage homestay furnished with British items. Ninety-three foreign tourists stayed here in the last year,” he says.
Majuli, the river island that draws many foreign visitors, lies nearby, and some travellers pass through Lakhimpur en route to Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh. Lahan invited those he met. “Whenever I came across them in Lakhimpur, I invited them to visit my place. They would come for one day but end up staying here for three to four days, mesmerised by its beauty and setup. I would take them for sightseeing, show them the lifestyle of villagers and make them taste ethnic food,” he says.
Today, the property offers a stilt museum, a large treehouse, an eatery serving ethnic and fast food, six campsites, two air-conditioned rooms, and a homestay. More than two lakh visitors have come. Entry is Rs 20 per person; visitors may sleep on the vintage bed. Consumption of liquor and other intoxicants is prohibited. The site hosts birthdays and weddings, trains interns and welcomes school groups. Local shops and businesses have grown around the site. Lahan’s next aim is to recreate an old Assamese village on the property.
Having received a tourism award from the state government, Lahan stresses the importance of small beginnings. “My life in the private sector helped me a lot in conceiving this project. I utilised my experience as a marketing executive in my project. I took it as a product, launched it in the market and did marketing. I review it from time to time,” he says.
From a decorated living room to a village tourism destination, Lahan’s journey shows how passion can transform a home into something that belongs to many.