Bring our eco ideas into action and enjoy lovely sunsets in Gumlapuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Details

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  Description

  Hi, I’m Varsha from Bangalore.
  About 40 km from the city (roughly 1.5 hours from central Bangalore), I’ve been nurturing a permaculture farm in the countryside. Over the years, I’ve planted several trees and followed permaculture principles, slowly allowing the land to grow into its own ecosystem.
  
  We’ve now reached an exciting phase - the mud house is almost ready, and we’re currently in the plastering stage. From here on, the vision is to grow this land into a living, breathing community space, where people come together to build, learn, share skills, and live simply and consciously.
  
  Living & Community Setup
  • Volunteers will stay in the mud house itself, making it a shared community home.
  • The house includes:
  • One bedroom with a private bathroom
  • A common drawing room
  • A shared kitchen
  • A dining space where we cook and eat together
  • Sleeping is simple and shared (no separate rooms for couples).
  • Mattresses and pillows will be provided; the stay is basic but comfortable.
  • We can accommodate 7–8 people inside the house.
  • Additional volunteers are welcome to stay in tents (tents to be brought by volunteers).
  
  There is no luxury here - no hot water, minimal electricity, basic fans - but the experience is rooted in connection, learning, and intentional living.
  
  What We’ll Be Working On Together
  
  This is a hands-on, co-creation space, and everyone contributes. Current and upcoming work includes:
  • Natural plastering and finishing touches on the mud house
  • Making cob benches around the house
  • Creating a small yoga / meditation space using mud or bamboo
  • Building a small natural play pool for adults and children
  • Ongoing farm upkeep
  • Planting more flowering plants, vegetables, and fruit trees
  • Creating a small Miyawaki forest
  • Hosting workshops, retreats, and learning sessions
  • Social media, website creation, and Instagram management (very welcome!)
  
  If you bring other skills — natural building, design, facilitation, farming, storytelling, or anything that supports community living — they are deeply appreciated.
  
  Community Living Values
  
  This is not just a volunteer project — it’s a community experience.
  • All daily activities are shared: cooking, cleaning, washing, and farm work
  • Food is cooked together as a community
  • We work with respect, kindness, and open communication
  • Everyone is encouraged to express themselves freely and listen to others
  • This space thrives on cooperation, not hierarchy
  
  Contribution
  • No contribution, the exchange involves you to provide your time & effort for the learning’s & your time.
  • Stay in the mud house
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  
  This contribution supports food, basic upkeep, and the sustainability of the space. This is not a commercial setup — it’s an exchange of energy, work, learning, and presence.
  
  The Land
  • The farm is surrounded by nature and silence
  • A quarry just 1 km away offers beautiful sunset views
  • The location remains the same as before — peaceful, rural, and deeply grounding
  
  If you’re looking to experience permaculture, natural building, slow living, and community life, and if you’re open to simplicity and shared responsibility, you’re welcome to be part of this journey.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Farming

  

  Photography

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Cycling

  

  Camping
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travelers benefit from this experience by becoming part of a living, learning community rooted in simplicity and respect for nature. By working closely with the land and with people from different cultures, they learn practical skills like natural building, permaculture, and community living, while also gaining a deeper understanding of sustainable lifestyles. Beyond the work, the exchange happens through shared meals, conversations, silence, laughter, and daily rhythms — offering space for reflection, connection, and a slower, more intentional way of living that many carry with them long after they leave.

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  Help

  Travelers are welcome to be part of daily life at the farm by contributing a few hours each day to hands-on work. This can include natural building activities like making cob benches, helping create community spaces such as a yoga area, planting and maintaining trees and vegetables, caring for the land, and supporting ongoing farm tasks. Everyone also participates in community living by sharing responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, and general upkeep. More than skills, what matters most is a willingness to learn, collaborate, and live mindfully with nature and each other.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Kannada: Fluent
  Tamil: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  I’m ok to learn basic French, German, Italian etc any language that can help me communicate with travellers. Would love to!
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  Accommodation

  Volunteers stay in the mud house, which has one bedroom, a shared living room, a kitchen, and a private bathroom. Sleeping is shared and simple, using the living room and bedroom. There is also space on the farm for volunteers who wish to bring their own tents, with access to a basic outdoor toilet. More accommodation options may be added in the future.

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  What else ...

  During time off, travelers are free to explore the surrounding area and slow down in nature. A quarry just 1 km away offers beautiful sunset views, while Thally forest is about 20–25 km from the farm and accessible by government buses from the nearby town. There is also a swimming pool nearby where volunteers can relax and unwind. Birdwatching around the farm, quiet evenings watching the sunset, and visits to nearby waterfalls (10–15 km away) offer plenty of space to rest, explore, and reconnect with nature.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Airtel network is good and you can use your own hotspot for internet access.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Feel free to use camper vans, tents etc on the farm and can park anywhere at the farm and use it.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We love animals and you can bring your pets, however food needs to be taken care of for them or we can provide on an additional cost.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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