How to find and own the time-hallowed villas and havelis of India

The search for heritage villas in India, which appear infrequently on the market, can be riddled with challenges. Ranjita Ganesan finds out where to look and how to experience these spaces

In the monsoon months, as the coconut palm-lined villages of Goa turn cool and lush, residents have to often carefully shepherd visiting snakes and scorpions out of the door. “In the old homes, you are one with the animals,” says Sephi Bergerson, a freelance photographer from Israel. Ever since he relocated to India with family, he has chosen to live in heritage villas, admittedly more for their heightened sense of space and nature than their legacy. The Bergersons spend most of the year in a century-old villa touching the forest in Assagao. With a balcao and foyer, it is “like