Anantara hospitality discovers Our Native Village

I remember sitting on my Grandmothers lap listening to stories of the good old days when there were no high-rises, no traffic and the view consisted of green fields as far as the eye could see.

Consider it a blessing or a curse but this is the memory Our Native Village awakened in me. It made me want to take my foot off the pedal and just gaze into the fields leading nowhere. I could imagine running a kite through the winds and scrapping my knees as I climbed trees, oblivious to Grandma's disapproving looks trying hard to camouflage her twitching knowing smiles

I was young and carefree once again with not a care in the world. I wanted to fly with the birds and jump into frog ponds with complete abandon. For all those who have forgotten their childhood stories, my recent visit to Our Native Village has made me realise that our grandma's sure knew what they were talking about.

As we leave the pollution and dust of city life far behind (Bangaloreans forgive me, but we must admit that the pure Bangalore of yore is not to be found nowhere) and drive 40 kms towards the unknown, the locale slowly changes from urban claustrophobia to natural beauty. There are fields of grains, coconuts and bananas plantations and no population. There is music in the birdsongs and enchanting rhythms in the croaks of frogs and crickets. This is Our Native Village where a return to Mother Nature is a promise.

CEO Ravi Shankar talks about Anatara Hospitality’s commitment to ECO for the greater common good

And where else but at Our Native Village will you see all eco-friendly construction material which has been sourced locally. The energy sources are Wind Mills, Solar Panels and Bio Gas Plants. Rain water is harvested and used. All Waste is processed & reused. Each Mural is a hand painted story in itself by local artists for Anantara Hospitality truly believes in development of the local community while preserving traditional arts. All food is organic farm produce. Even room and bathroom amenities are organic, hand-made and natural. Though the pool may look a little green, it is clean and hygienic. Aquatic plants known to de-pollute water are used instead of chemicals like chlorine and alum. These plants 'eat up' all the dirt and oxygenate the water. This 'regeneration pool' concept from Austria is a first of its kind in India.

And whatever happened to the air-conditioning. All the room bricks are handmade using the locally available soil. The roof panels have been prefabricated on the site itself. The rooms have narrow and broad windows strategically angled westwards to capture the Westerlies. All this goes towards ensuring a healthier way of life with natural insulations against heat and cold.

Anantara Hospitality talks about the secret ingredients behind Our Native Village’s finger licking food

24 Rooms (216 sq ft each), Bar, Spa, Swimming Pool, Conference Room (900 sq ft) and Restaurant - sounds just like any other resort. Wrong. The architecture embodies the true spirit of India with mud edifices, quaint hand-baked tiled roofs and bullock carts. The resort is a 12 acre organic farm, all the better for the lovely local dishes the chef likes to cook up. Is he Oberoi or ITC trained. Afraid not. Our 'chefs' are from the local village who know just what grandma's special dishes are all about. No village is complete without a plethora of animals. And we have turkeys, ducks, rabbits, cows, dogs, cats, chicken - some for the chef's knife and some because this is home.

CEO Ravi Shankar takes a peep at things to do at Our Native Village

Take a peep into history as you study the 'Veerakallu' hero stones. Approximately five feet tall, the granite stones are inscribed with the glorious deeds of kings and knights of a bygone era in a unique combination of art, poetry and historical facts, some of which are over a 1000 years old.

Practice rituals from the past as you play gilli danda, bugri (spinning a top), hop-scotch, fly kites, make rangoli decorations and follow nature trails. Want to be a true farmer? Field ploughing, organic techniques, bullock cart rides and animals await. Hammocks and charpais are spread out for moments of relaxing. Evenings blend the strains of the Sarangi and Veena into the traditional passion of story telling, under the stars. Old Coracles (circular fishing boats) converted into cozy sitting areas are perfect family nests for a sit together, family gossip and star gazing.

Want to step out? Visit Aivarkandapura, a 10th century monolith temple site. Legend has it that the Pandavas and their mother Kunti stayed here during their thirteen year exile and the shrines miraculously appeared overnight when they expressed a wish to worship Lord Shiva.

The Nrityagram Dance village is Dancer Protima Bedi's vision to offer multiple dance styles under one roof for students. The Central Poultry Development Organisation breeds chickens, ducks, turkeys and emus. The Central Cattle Breeding Farm offers a variety of world renowned cattle breeds and mechanized milking methodologies. The Embassy Horse Riding School offers an interesting trot in the countryside. The Shravanabelagola is a world heritage site, almost as important as the Taj Mahal according to experts.

Conference options at Anantara Hospitality Resort, Our Native Village

Our Native Village. Rustic, quaint, picturesque, within easy drive time of Bangalore (one hour from airport), Our Native Village offers a unique village experience in the midst of nowhere with plenty of team building options for conference groups.

The resort is a 12 acre organic farm with 24 Rooms (216 sq ft each), Bar, Spa, Swimming Pool, Restaurant and a 900 sq ft Conference Hall. The architecture embodies the true spirit of India with mud edifices, quaint hand-baked tiled roofs, bullock carts and a wide plethora of animals - turkeys, ducks, rabbits, cows, dogs, cats, chicken all call Our Native Village home.

The Construction material is eco-friendly and sourced locally. Energy sources are Wind Mills, Solar Panels & Bio Gas Plants. Rain water is harvested, Waste is processed & reused. The Murals are hand painted stories local artists. Food is organic farm produce while the Room and bathroom amenities are hand-made and natural. The Food is as desi as you can get. The 'chefs' from the local village know what home food is all about. Leisure activities include Gilli danda, bugri (spinning a top), hop-scotch, flying kites, rangoli decorations, nature trails, field ploughing, organic techniques, bullock cart rides and animals are available.

Evenings blend the strains of the Sarangi and Veena into the traditional passion of rural story telling, under the stars. The poolside with live charcoal cooking is a perfect option (seating is charpais and circular fishing boats called coracles. Local sightseeing options include 1000 years old 'Veerakallu' hero stones, Aivarkandapura - a 10th century monolith temple site where the Pandavas and their mother Kunti stayed, World famous Nrityagram Dance village, Central Poultry and Cattle Breeding Farms, Horse Riding School and the Shravanabelagola world heritage site offer local delights.

Our Native Village’s promise this Christmas and New Year

Move away from the Mundane
Avoid Bangalore Crowds and Traffic
Do something different this Christmas
Take your foot off the pedal and
Visit our Native Village
Nostalgia is what we promise you
Family celebrations, Carols, Good Food
Champagne, Wines, Mistletoe under Starry Lights
Music strains amongst the Birdsongs
Where green fields stretch beyond the yonder