From the beginnings in 2006.....
Hussain and Volker in the Fusion-Cafe on Lighthouse Beach in 2006 discussing the idea of Muringa Vila
Muringa Vila is, at first sight, a private little guest house located right at the beachfront of Kovalam. A closer look at the enterprise reveals a lot more. Muringa Vila is a private development project, undertaken by local people in cooperation with foreign inspiration.
The first and most important goal of the project has been the creation of a beautiful and useful structure which provides living facilities for the local participants as well as for the foreign friends. After six years of building we finally succeeded with that task. The construction of the building started in 2006 after a year of dreaming, discussing and pondering options. Successively during the following years the building process took shape and as of today, there are three finished floors with room for 12-16 guests, yoga hall, roof garden and an outside sitting area with the Little Shanti Coffee Shop.
The second basic pilar of our development plan has been the creation of a sustainable source of income to ensure the ongoing processes. All the friends, foreign and local, and all the guests that spend their time with us, are shaping the atmosphere and the future course of things around the use of the building as a self sustained full time home for some, part time residence for others and vacation or education facility for lots.
During the winter season of 2009/10 the first visitors could enjoy life with us on the airy balconies facing a lush coconut tree cladded valley which opens up to the Arabian Sea, only a hundred steps away...but above their heads the construction process kept on going.
During winter season 2010/11 the third floor and the coffee shop have been finished for occupation and the roof structure materialized as wonderful as expected.
Well, we are almost there. The following year, 2011/12, we finally built the sitting area in the front, started planting flowers and dining outside. Yes, it was fun when the Coffee Shop/ outside kitchen opened its doors... we were all smiles! A good plenty of folks from Kerala, greater India and the rest of the world are meeting, interacting and getting to know each other, make personal connections and real life experiences with the going ons in this part of the world. Yoga and Ayurveda, healthy food, leisure life on the beach, cultural exchange, the building up of an international network of friends with common interests - that is the glue and the fuel of the dynamics on the property.
The winter season 20012/13 has been a busy one. From end of October till end of March the house was occupied by a great mix of people from Germany, Holland, Nepal, Denmark, USA, South Africa, Malaysia, France, and Kasachstan. And the 2013/14 season started in September already. Great. Everyone came with good intentions and joined the process, used the place after its potential and helped with creating a peaceful, trusty togetherness of human beings. Our connections and experiences with friends and neighbors are more than helpful. The Mother Ayurvedic Center next door is frequented by Muringa Vila guests for treatments and yoga sessions, so is the Brahma Yoga Center and in the Junction Art Gallery one of our regular guests even put up a fine art exhibition with lots of success. And a lots of day trips to explore the are were undertaken....our friends with rikshaws and taxis did the driving to all the exiting places one have to have seen once in Kovalam.
During this season we connected with the organic food scene of Kovalam and we get our veggie supplies now through the Organic Bazaar outlet, which opened shop nearby. Ocean fresh fish and seafood is already one of the staples of our kitchen.
Winter season 14/15 is over. How great it was to see old friends again, and new ones for sure. Despite Kovalam expanding and turning into a city we had still enough quiet times and atmospheres to stay a serene little guest house in the middle of the action. We had bookings from november through april, at times the house was more than full, but we didn't have to reject anybody. It worked out pretty well. We even hosted an art show with Kerstin Degen, the "One Day Gallery" show - what a fun. Now we are looking forward to the coming 15/16 season and are open for new bookings.....
Check out the latest standings at MV-Blog+Updates and the Images-page.
The first and most important goal of the project has been the creation of a beautiful and useful structure which provides living facilities for the local participants as well as for the foreign friends. After six years of building we finally succeeded with that task. The construction of the building started in 2006 after a year of dreaming, discussing and pondering options. Successively during the following years the building process took shape and as of today, there are three finished floors with room for 12-16 guests, yoga hall, roof garden and an outside sitting area with the Little Shanti Coffee Shop.
The second basic pilar of our development plan has been the creation of a sustainable source of income to ensure the ongoing processes. All the friends, foreign and local, and all the guests that spend their time with us, are shaping the atmosphere and the future course of things around the use of the building as a self sustained full time home for some, part time residence for others and vacation or education facility for lots.
During the winter season of 2009/10 the first visitors could enjoy life with us on the airy balconies facing a lush coconut tree cladded valley which opens up to the Arabian Sea, only a hundred steps away...but above their heads the construction process kept on going.
During winter season 2010/11 the third floor and the coffee shop have been finished for occupation and the roof structure materialized as wonderful as expected.
Well, we are almost there. The following year, 2011/12, we finally built the sitting area in the front, started planting flowers and dining outside. Yes, it was fun when the Coffee Shop/ outside kitchen opened its doors... we were all smiles! A good plenty of folks from Kerala, greater India and the rest of the world are meeting, interacting and getting to know each other, make personal connections and real life experiences with the going ons in this part of the world. Yoga and Ayurveda, healthy food, leisure life on the beach, cultural exchange, the building up of an international network of friends with common interests - that is the glue and the fuel of the dynamics on the property.
The winter season 20012/13 has been a busy one. From end of October till end of March the house was occupied by a great mix of people from Germany, Holland, Nepal, Denmark, USA, South Africa, Malaysia, France, and Kasachstan. And the 2013/14 season started in September already. Great. Everyone came with good intentions and joined the process, used the place after its potential and helped with creating a peaceful, trusty togetherness of human beings. Our connections and experiences with friends and neighbors are more than helpful. The Mother Ayurvedic Center next door is frequented by Muringa Vila guests for treatments and yoga sessions, so is the Brahma Yoga Center and in the Junction Art Gallery one of our regular guests even put up a fine art exhibition with lots of success. And a lots of day trips to explore the are were undertaken....our friends with rikshaws and taxis did the driving to all the exiting places one have to have seen once in Kovalam.
During this season we connected with the organic food scene of Kovalam and we get our veggie supplies now through the Organic Bazaar outlet, which opened shop nearby. Ocean fresh fish and seafood is already one of the staples of our kitchen.
Winter season 14/15 is over. How great it was to see old friends again, and new ones for sure. Despite Kovalam expanding and turning into a city we had still enough quiet times and atmospheres to stay a serene little guest house in the middle of the action. We had bookings from november through april, at times the house was more than full, but we didn't have to reject anybody. It worked out pretty well. We even hosted an art show with Kerstin Degen, the "One Day Gallery" show - what a fun. Now we are looking forward to the coming 15/16 season and are open for new bookings.....
Check out the latest standings at MV-Blog+Updates and the Images-page.
These are some pictures from the very beginning of the building.....long ago but not forgotten....hard to believe that we really got the job done!