Aashna Khurana, the Creative and Marketing Director of Karma Lakelands, may have
inherited an estate from her father, but she breathed a new life into it, by developing villas
and the Klub area into a resort. Result: NCR now has the most bountiful escape within easy
reach. She shares her insights with Sayli Mohite, Sub-Editor, Hotelier India, about her family legacy, the perks of embracing a nature resort into a beautiful experience for guests, various sustainability initiatives taken by the resort, expansion plans and more…
- ‘A journey from family estate to a nature resort’, Can you tell us a bit about the
evolution of Karma Lakelands Gurgaon.
Karma Lakelands started as my father’s passion project – as a nature lover he wanted to
plant trees and create sustainable environment. After a few years government guidelines
dictated that he had to use this for a commercial activity. He decided to start a golf course,
through which he could ensure a lot of greenery and also create a recreational activity
source.
We started a 9-hole golf course which became popular in Gurgaon and eventually
developed Karma Lakelands as a residential estate. Over the years Karma Lakelands also
became a popular wedding destination. We still had a huge space and decided to share this
bountiful land with more people and developed it into a resort.
Life at karma is like a break from your routine, you get to indulge in ecological activities and
witness sustainable practices, you can spend time with the farm animals, or sit in peace at
the lotus pond. Our villas and cottages have unique themes that are inspired by nature. The
resort offers a host of indoor and outdoor activities as well.
- Since it is a family legacy brought forward, what changes have you as a creative director brought into the hospitality space?
My father did not start this keeping the hospitality business in mind, the idea didn’t exist at
that time. I have always loved entertaining people over at my house, I think I’m a very
hospitable person in general, so the idea to be able to provide this luxury to people, came
solely through my experiences and my personality. We transformed it from this beautiful
pasture of land to a pollution free environment that served organic food and has
aesthetically designed villas. The resort has an inventory of about 10 villas, 5 cottages and
one garden suite. The other 150 villas are for people who want to make Karma Lakelands
their home. My father’s legacy is to conserve the environment, and we are still continuing to. There are acres of lands that have been developed as abundant forests areas: the sacred
forest, bamboo forest, the rewilding forest and the ficus forest.
My father’s legacy is to conserve the environment, and we are still continuing to. There are acres of lands that have been developed as abundant forests areas: the sacred forest, bamboo forest, the rewilding forest and the ficus forest.
Aashna Khurana, the Creative and Marketing Director of Karma Lakelands.
- Can you give us the ideology behind your concept of ‘pristine beauty’?
Pristine beauty to me is pure, which unfortunately is rare at a time like this. At Karma
Lakelands sunshine filters your rooms and birdsongs add to the background score, you sport rare butterflies and dance with peacocks and walk-through lush lotus ponds and can sit by the lake and reconnect with self.
We are conscious of consumption practices and ensure a low carbon footprint and promote
sustainable environmental activities. Result: unadulterated nature. We also promote organic food, grow our own herbs and produce our own honey through bee farming. I am extremely proud of the practices especially at a time when everything is subjected to preservatives and artificial ingredients, our clean lifestyle is like a breath of fresh air!
- What are the unique sustainability initiatives taken by the resort?
Karma Lakelands is proud to be a modern and innovative eco sustainable resort where
environmental sustainability and luxury are a single value proposition. Karma is a zero-waste resort and follows several practices to bring an ecological balance. We believe in nature friendly initiatives and conservation practices that support and promote sustainable living.
As a resort we strive to minimise our carbon footprint. We practice water harvesting, and
even source water from our neighbouring communities to nurture the forests & bio
diversity at Karma Lakelands. Sewage water and using it for forest irrigation, organic
farming, bee farming, use of solar energy, composting all food and garden waste. The entire estate promotes holistic living and we have banned honking and single use plastic. As a resort we need generate some plastic waste, but use it consciously by creating eco bricks. There are eco huts, staff washrooms and benches around the resort for visitors and our farm animals to rest.
- What experiential activities does the resort carry?
Other than golf, guests can also enjoy horse riding, play pool at AKs Cocktail Bar, get into a quick squash match at the Klub or maybe badminton, lawn tennis, cricket, biking and more.
The area is widespread and you can indulge in several outdoor and indoor sports. Some of
our villas too are equipped with pool tables. Other than sports, one can never tire of long walks, scenic sunsets and views to indulge in.
- Usually, people prefer celebrating their anniversaries and birthdays in luxurious resorts, Since Karma Lakelands Gurgaon falls under the ‘no honking zone’, do you think you hold a disadvantage in that space?
Honestly, the whole reason people come out to celebrate here is to get away from the
chaos of the city, and we provide exactly that, so it has never come across as a
disadvantage. Noise is after all a form of pollution and we will continue to combat it as our
residents and patrons appreciate the silence and peace. Fortunately, everyone at Karma
follows the “no honk” rule religiously and it elevates the experience more than 100 times.
- What does the future hold for Karma Lakelands?
Our goal is to keep providing the best of services and experiences to our patrons and become their go to destination for holidays, weekends or any getaway! Personally, Karma is
the perfect place for weddings. It is a paradise that can elevate your memories and teach you something new. We would also like to be the source of information and spread awareness about sustainable living. As the culture is evolving, more and more people are getting into the sport of golf, and we are excited for everyone that will discover us through
golf and fall in love with the place!
