Shared living, food forest and cultural exchange in Tenkasi, India

Details

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  Description

  Hello! We are Kedar and Ajay, living near Tenkasi in the far south of Tamil Nadu, at the foothills of the Western Ghats, close to the beautiful waterfalls and mountains of Courtallam.
  
  Kedar is French Canadian and settled in Tamil Nadu for the past couple years after many years of exploring spirituality, meditation, and alternative ways of living. Ajay is from Tamil Nadu and has joined the project to help develop our land, coordinate construction, and gradually grow into a larger role in hosting and community life. Rajesh, originally from Chennai and also part of our project, currently divides his time between Canada and India.
  
  Together, we are creating a small, nature-oriented community on our land near Old Courtallam. Our first ashram-style building is under construction, while our food forest is already taking shape, with an expanding collection of fruit trees, tropical plants, and experiments in regenerative gardening.
  
  Our vision is to create a welcoming space where people from different backgrounds can live, learn, grow, and share meaningful experiences together.
  
  Our lifestyle
  
  We enjoy a fairly simple but active lifestyle, with a strong interest in healthy living, good food, nature, and personal development.
  
  Cooking and eating together are a big part of our days! Our diet is mostly vegetarian, with an emphasis on nutritious, protein-rich, high-fibre meals using fresh and minimally processed ingredients.
  
  We also enjoy experimenting with fermentation, sprouting, homemade drinks, fermented vegetables, and even brewing our own beer. Kedar is particularly enthusiastic about permaculture, growing edible aquatic plants such as Wolffia, and exploring ways to make food production more sustainable and nutritious.
  
  We enjoy yoga, exercise, meditation, interesting conversations, and occasionally getting together for music, singing, dancing, or a little celebration. We have a guitar, guitalele, and harmonium available for anyone interested in sharing or developing musical skills.
  
  Kedar has a background in Hindu monastic life, meditation, and Western psychology, and enjoys exploring subjects such as Advaita Vedanta, yoga philosophy, self-inquiry, and personal development. These interests naturally find their way into conversations, but there is no fixed spiritual program or expectation to participate.
  
  Our daily rhythm is flexible and often shaped by whoever is staying with us. Some days are productive and active, others are dedicated to exploring the area, sharing experiences, or simply enjoying a peaceful afternoon together.
  Our surroundings
  
  We live in a beautiful rural region of Tamil Nadu that remains largely unexplored by international travellers.
  The area is full of waterfalls, rivers, natural swimming spots, ancient Hindu temples, small villages, and vibrant local traditions. We love introducing visitors to these places, sharing local food, and helping them experience Tamil culture beyond the usual tourist routes.
  
  English is not widely spoken in the surrounding villages, so having local companions makes exploring and understanding the culture much easier.
  
  We currently live in a comfortable rented house about 10 minutes from our land, where we welcome Workawayers while the community building is being completed.
  
  We are looking for curious, open-minded, easygoing people who enjoy participating in shared daily life and contributing to something that is gradually taking shape.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Hospitality/Tourism
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  Interests

  

  Events & social

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  Art & design

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Music

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Performing arts

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Hiking

  

  Mountain

  

  Nature

  

  Fitness

  

  Dancing
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  One of the most rewarding aspects of staying with us is the opportunity to experience rural Tamil Nadu beyond the usual tourist experience.
  
  This region has a deeply rooted Tamil and Hindu culture, with ancient temples, living traditions, colourful festivals, and a way of life that can feel very different from what many Western travellers are accustomed to.
  
  We love introducing visitors to our surroundings and helping them discover:
  
  Local temples, Hindu traditions, rituals, and devotional practices.
  Waterfalls, rivers, jungle swimming spots, and beautiful natural areas.
  Traditional Tamil cooking, markets, villages, and everyday life.
  Basic Tamil language and ways of interacting respectfully with local communities.
  
  Ajay brings his local knowledge and cultural background, while Kedar offers the perspective of a Westerner who has made Tamil Nadu his home and learned to navigate the language and culture.
  
  There is also plenty to exchange around sustainable living, food production, permaculture, fermentation, nutrition, yoga, meditation, and philosophy.
  
  Kedar has a particular interest in the meeting of Eastern and Western approaches to spirituality and psychology, and enjoys exploring these subjects through open, non-dogmatic conversations.
  
  We also love learning from our guests! Whether you have experience in gardening, cooking, music, creative arts, languages, or simply a different perspective on life, we believe everyone has something valuable to share.
  
  Our aim is not to offer a formal retreat or teaching program, but to create opportunities for genuine cultural immersion, shared learning, and meaningful human connection.

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  Help

  Our Workaway experience is centred on shared living, developing our food forest, and helping with everyday activities rather than rigid work schedules.
  
  We generally expect around 3–4 hours of help per day, five days a week, depending on the activities and projects underway.
  
  Help around the house
  Cooking together and preparing daily meals.
  Helping with dishes, cleaning, and general household organisation.
  Sharing recipes, food preparation techniques, or new ideas for healthy meals.
  Helping Ajay practise conversational English.
  Help with our land and food forest
  
  A significant part of our activities now takes place on our land, where we are developing a small tropical food forest alongside our future community house.
  
  There is plenty to do, including:
  
  Watering and caring for fruit trees and other plants.
  Planting new trees and developing growing areas.
  Mulching, improving soil fertility, and experimenting with natural gardening methods.
  Helping with simple gardening and land maintenance.
  Joining visits to the construction site and contributing ideas as the project develops.
  We are particularly interested in permaculture, agroforestry, soil regeneration, and learning through experimentation. Previous gardening experience is welcome but certainly not necessary!
  
  Other contributions
  
  We would also love to welcome people who enjoy photography, videography, social media, or creative storytelling. We are gradually developing our website and would appreciate help documenting the land, activities, and community experience.
  
  If you enjoy music, singing, yoga, meditation, or sharing other skills, there may be opportunities to organise activities together.
  
  Beyond practical help, we appreciate people who bring curiosity, initiative, good company, and a willingness to participate in shared life.
  
  We enjoy keeping things flexible, adapting activities to everyone's interests, abilities, and energy. We respect personal space and independence while hoping to create a friendly atmosphere where people genuinely enjoy spending time together.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Tamil: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  English and Tamil is commonly spoken between us, and we enjoy conversations that naturally touch on language, meaning, and cultural nuance. We are interested in natural language exchange through daily life. Tamil is the local language here, and guests are exposed to it through village life, travel, temples, and everyday interactions. We also enjoy sharing basic Tamil expressions and cultural context, but this is informal and experiential rather than structured language teaching.
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  Accommodation

  We offer a private bedroom with a double bed and an attached private bathroom, suitable for one person or a couple.
  We are also planning to add a bunk bed to accommodate additional Workawayers.
  
  Our house is simple, comfortable, and peaceful, situated just outside a small rural village. Guests have access to shared living areas and space for their own activities and relaxation.
  
  We provide three vegetarian meals per day, usually prepared together or by whoever feels inspired to cook!
  
  Our meals tend to be healthy and nutritious, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, protein, fibre, and a variety of homemade preparations. We enjoy experimenting with different cuisines and are always happy to learn new recipes

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  What else ...

  Our project is still young and evolving, and we enjoy welcoming people who are comfortable with a flexible, collaborative environment.
  
  We usually host Workawayers for one to two weeks, with the possibility of longer stays when everyone feels comfortable and our plans align.
  
  Free time & exploring
  
  Our home is situated in a quiet rural area, ideal for relaxing, reading, meditation, yoga, or simply enjoying a slower pace of life. We also have a bicycle you can use to explore the nearby areas.
  
  The nearby Tenkasi and Courtallam region offers beautiful opportunities for exploring waterfalls, rivers, hiking areas, temples, and traditional villages.
  
  We regularly go on outings and enjoy taking our guests along whenever possible. Bicycles are also available for local exploration, and we frequently visit nearby towns for shopping and other activities.
  
  A few things to know
  
  Tamil Nadu is culturally conservative, particularly in rural areas. We appreciate guests who are respectful of local customs, dress expectations, and social norms when exploring outside the house.
  
  Our home is a shared living environment where we value openness, consideration, personal responsibility, and good communication.
  
  Personal time and privacy are respected, but this experience is best suited to people who enjoy participating in shared activities rather than remaining entirely independent of the household.
  
  Photography and social media sharing are welcome with everyone's consent.
  
  Before confirming a stay, we prefer arranging a short video call to get acquainted, discuss expectations, and make sure the experience feels like a good match for everyone.

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Chipapwee (1 year)

  Chipapwee is a small female cat we rescued from the street, she grow into a lovely peaceful and cuddly house cat aside from her moments of evening excitement, she somehow sleeps all day and love to join you for a shared nap.

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