Author Archives: Vaksana Farm

These places are known for their beauty and magnificence. The beautiful place V is home to many destinations ideal for spiritual visits, family holidays, and even a break with a group of friends. Along with excellent sightseeing opportunities, there is a time to soak into prayer. The tranquillity places like Tindivanam offer are unmatched. Here are a few places you must visit while at Vaksana Farm Stay.

Sri Mailam Murugan Temple

Mailam, also known as Mayilam, is fifteen kilometres from Tindivanam and thirty kilometres from Pondicherry. The temple is connected to Bomayapalaiyam village on the Coromandel coast, quite close to Pondicherry, where the Veera Saiva mutt is established. Pommayapuram Mathadhipathi built the temple atop the hill on a magnificent scale, and it has been well maintained. The Mutt, located at the foot of the mountain, looks after the temple administration and provides services to the general public. This is a beautiful attraction near our farmhouse and a must visit place. Murugan devotees flock to the village during Thaipusam.

Gingee Fort/ Senji Fort – Troy Of The East

The British named it the “Troy of the East.” because of its clever architectural marvel. This is a well-kept archaeological site with a lot of history!! You will need a day to investigate and climb the fort.

There are a lot of lawns and banyan trees. The place appeals to children. Three citadels are located on three hills within the fort. Each fortress is a stand-alone structure. It is surrounded by an eight-mile-long wall and an 80-foot-wide moat.

Take a look around to see where the Gingee guards might be stationed. A seven-story Wedding Hall, prison cells, a military gymnasium, and other facilities can be found inside the fort. Various emperors have claimed and regained the Gingee throughout history, all desiring possession of
its formidable fortress. It was ruled by the Marathas, Mughals, French, and British before being abandoned in the nineteenth century.

Sri Lakshmi Narayanaswamy Temple

Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal is the deity in the temple, while Amman (Thayar) is next to it. Perumal Koil is the other name of the temple. Mahalakshmi sits on Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy’s left lap in the sanctum, holding a lotus in her left hand and Narasimhar in Her right. Mahalakshmi is seated on the left lap, and her hands are in the Anjali hastha / adoring posture in Urchava murti Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy. A wonderful temple – a must visit when one is in Tindivanam.

Auroville

A 50-minute drive from the farmhouse is the famous, serene Auroville. Auroville is an experimental community in the Viluppuram district in Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu. Auroville is a collection of residential properties 12 kilometres, 7.5 miles north of Pondicherry. The East Coast Road (ECR), which connects Chennai with Pondicherry, is a convenient way to get there. The visitor centre and Matrimandir are located 6 kilometres west of the ECR Bommayapalayam turnoff. Turning east leads to Auroville’s private beach, Repos, only a few hundred metres away.

Tiruvannamalai

Arunachalesvara Temple, also known as Annamalaiyar Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, located at the base of Arunachala hill in the Tamil Nadu town of Thiruvannamalai.
Combining a vacation with a temple visit is a fantastic idea. You can have the best of both worlds. Some places provide a wide diversity of viewpoints. This is especially useful for people who want to spend uninterrupted time with their families. You can go to the Shiva temple at the top of the hill, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty.

Veedur Dam

The Veedur Dam is located around 150 kilometres from Chennai. It is on the GST route, right on the highway between Tindivanam and Villupuram. It is marked by an arch that leads to the dam and park. Even though the day was sunny, it was not hot (due to the winter season and one of the reasons I chose to visit the dam), and the cool breeze was enough to cause small waves in the water to smash like the sea.

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At Pico, Laxmi Ammal and Kasturi Sivaraman offer guests a slice of the village life with creature comforts

Summer vacations tend to bring a whiff of nostalgia along with them, of time spent at your grandma’s home, eating homemade food and listening to stories about your roots. A homestay called Pico in Tamil Nadu will take you on a trip down memory lane. Situated two hours from Chennai in a village called Rettanai, the homestay is run by a mother-daughter duo—Laxmi Ammal, 89, and Kasturi Sivaraman, 71—who promise plenty of stories and farm-fresh food.

The hosts

Nearly eight generations of the Ammal family have lived in Rettanai and the farm is an ancestral plot that has been handed down through generations. Over the years, many villagers turned to cities for jobs and the land remained barren. However, Sivaraman’s son, Kiruba Shankar, didn’t want to lose his agricultural roots. He slowly expanded the farm from a two-acre property to a 13-acre one, and began harvesting crops bringing back the greenery.

“The ground reality of running a farm, though, is it takes a lot of effort, time and money. If it’s not self-sustainable it becomes a hobby,” says Shankar. “During the lockdown, we saw a lot of demand from city folk who are just eager to step out and go to places that are green and clean. That’s when we thought of capitalising on it and the idea of starting a homestay sparked.”

You may think Shankar’s mother and grandmother would want to take a backseat at their age. But the two jumped at the opportunity and decided to take complete charge. “My mother and grandmother have always been the backbone of this home. But they’ve done it within the four walls. They’ve always had the quest to start something of their own and be independent,” says Shankar.

It’s never too late to pursue your dreams, and Ammal and Kasturi Sivaraman are testament to this. Since they started in 2021, the two have hosted over 200 guests, cooking farm-fresh food and offering guests the best of the village life.

The homestay

An architect wasn’t involved in the making of Pico. The homestay that sits on 13 acres of land surrounded by orchards and paddy was built entirely by the family. Shankar and his father designed the house, with help from local masons. His two daughters overlooked the interiors, with a little inspiration from Pinterest. The result is a cosy 400sqft home, with large glass windows and doors that invite the outside in no matter which part of the house you are.

The house doesn’t have a bedroom. The living room leads to a mezzanine floor with a mattress. But the house is equipped with all mod-cons, including an air-conditioner, washing machine, oven and high-speed Wi-FI. Should you want to work from here, there are three desks. Shankar can’t promise that the views won’t be distracting, though.

The food

Although a homely meal, Ammal and Sivaram pull out all stops to lay an elaborate spread. The two wake up at 4am to prepare dishes and sometimes are also seen picking ingredients on the farm. Guests are welcomed with sembaruthi, a juice made of hibiscus flowers, and sangupoo, a drink prepared with butterfly pea flower. At mealtime, look forward to dishes such as urunda kozhambu (dal vada curry), poondu kozhambu (a tamarind-based curry), more kulambhu (a creamy yoghurt curry) and kevuru kambu koozhu (porridge), sambhar, rasam and buttermilk. Vegetables harvested by you from the farm can find their way on your plate the next day.

Running a homestay is no mean feat, but the two love their job despite the ailments that come with age. “It gives me immense happiness and satisfaction when people get to experience the local village life,” says Ammal. “And even though it can get physically draining, our energy is replenished when we see people happy.”

How to spend 48 hours in Rettanai, Tamil Nadu

Be prepared to get your hands dirty at Pico. “There’s always so much happening at the farm. Yesterday we transplanted chilli saplings. Today, we harvested mango, guava, and java apple. Anyone can hop onto the farm and join us,” says Shankar. Guests can also take a dip in the many natural ponds at the property or go on leisurely walks on the farm.

Should you want to step out, Gingee Fort is a 30-minute drive from the stay. The 13th-century fortress has changed hands from the Mughals to the Marathas and sprawls across three hills—Rajagiri, Krishnagiri and Chandryandurg. There’s also a lord Murugan temple, about 20 minutes drive from the property, and Veedur Dam, about 30 minutes away.

Pico can accommodate up to four people, and the tariff starts from Rs4,000 on weekdays, and Rs6,000 on weekends.

With severe summer and lack of rains, there is no grass for our cows to graze here at Vaksana Farms. Hence, we are forced to buy hay which becomes the main source of food for them. The hay is exorbitantly priced as the demand is high and supply is low. Thankfully a friend of my Dad recently harvested paddy and he donated a van load of hay for the cows. Bless his heart.