The house is home to three family members:
Pradip Yashwanth Patil – The head of the household, who completed ITI after passing the 10th grade. He initially worked as an electrician but later transitioned to farming.
Dipika Pradip Patil – Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) degree in Virar.
Prasannataa Pradip Patil – Holds a Master’s degree in Commerce and works at a credit society in Virar.
Both daughters travel daily to Virar for their studies and work. They commute by taking a bus from their village to Saphale and then boarding a local train to Virar.
House Layout and Daily Life
The house consists of:
One main hallओसरी
A kitchen स्वयंपाकघर
Three rooms खोली
An attic (mala)माळा
Verandah अंगण
Water supply comes from Kevle Dam and municipal pipelines, with water available three days a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Pradip’s wife, Rekha Pradip Patil, passed away in 2007 due to medical issues when their daughters were between six and eight years old. Following her passing, Pradip’s mother, Venubai Yashwanth Patil, took care of the family and the household until she passed away in 2020. Since then, Pradip and his daughters manage all household chores together.
The house was renovated in 1992, during which some old walls were demolished and rebuilt. As part of the renovation, the original Mangalore tile roof was replaced with a tin roof due to the weakening of wooden roof members caused by Valvi (wood decay). Additionally, the staircase was repositioned; previously, access to the upper floor was from the outside, but it was moved inside the main hall near the entrance. Two new rooms were also added. Despite these changes, several original features, such as the doors and teakwood (saag) pillars, have remained intact for over a century.
Challenges and Future Considerations
The rooms in the house are arranged around the main hall, making them longer in length but relatively narrow. The family finds this layout inconvenient and would prefer a change. Additionally, maintaining the house is time-consuming due to its size. Despite having multiple rooms, they primarily use only the kitchen, hall, verandah, and backyard, leaving the attic space largely unused and difficult to clean.