Marutham Village Resorts, set amidst lush paddy fields and soothing greenery, lies about 5 kms from Mahabalipuram near Chennai. Created by architect couple Vadivelan and Priya, it attracts families and friends who would like to getaway to a quiet rural lifestyle. Interestingly, what we see as a resort today has evolved from the founders’ dream to practice organic agriculture. From there, the project has grown to a farm stay for their family and finally transformed into an enterprise that would connect people the old-fashioned way. Let’s see how Marutham Village Resorts turned a belief into a commercially successful venture.
The Dream of Organic Cultivation
Marutham’s story began in 2017, when Vadivelan and Priya procured a parcel of land for organic cultivation in Vadakadambadi village. “The first time I went there we were taken down this narrow path and came out onto a beautiful sylvan scene of green fields all around. There was something about the place that I found very peaceful. We also got lucky as the land had abundant water ideal for paddy cultivation…something that suited us very much. The land had a small two room house adjoining it, with a pump set. We found a family that could help us out with agriculture, taking care of the sowing and harvesting,” says Priya.
The Shift to a Homestay
Eager to bring their large extended family for stays here, Vadivelan and Priya decided to build a simple farm stay with views overlooking the greenery. “We decided to build it the way we would like to live. We designed a few rooms with a small kitchen and personalised space along a small street for our own use. The rooms had a thinnai or a front verandah and a muttum or central courtyard. This was the way people got together those days, and we wanted to recreate spaces that make such interactions possible. The rooms were well-ventilated so that we wouldn’t miss having air conditioning. And as architects we are trained to reduce and recycle material. Repurposed materials were sourced from dismantled buildings in Chettinad area, and my son and husband even brought back signature Chettinad style pillars from Karaikudi. Finally, a few rooms came up and we started spending time here over the weekends.
Creating a Vibrant Ecosystem
As the property came up, the agricultural activities also picked up. They had goats, hens and desi cows to feed and rear. “A friend of ours from Madurai gave us some Gir cows from Gujarat as he was unable to maintain them. We realised his pain soon enough as feeding them sucked our resources. We spent a lot of money every month just on fodder!” chuckles Priya. “We knew it was going to be a hit as whoever visited the place were very excited about the fantastic views and the vibe. So, we started work to extend the property in July 2019 and completed it in February 2020 right before the COVID lockdown. That put a full stop to everything!” reminisces Priya.
Connecting with the Community
The couple had invested all their savings in this project and it had come out very well too. They had hired a staff of 20 people but had to close down due to COVID. “It was our property, so we had to go and take care of it ourselves. I left with just 3 sets of clothes and got stuck there for two months. We had retained few of our staff and some of our family joined us there. We all worked together to cultivate vegetables and we did harvest quite a lot and used it during this period. In fact, this was the time when we connected with the community around us and the land itself. In that sense, COVID came as a blessing for us. When the lockdown was lifted, bookings started trickling in and just when things were looking up the second lockdown brought things to a halt,” says Priya.
Making the Most of Downtime
This was a period of great uncertainty world over and many workers from Tamil Nadu, employed in the UAE were sent back. Vadivelan took one such group of 50 workers under this wing, provided them accommodation near the farm and used their services to complete the second phase of the project. By the time the second lockdown was lifted they had 32 rooms and the main building. There was no looking back after that. They kept growing and by 2024 they had broken even. Priya attributes their success to their clear vision for Marutham and the three guidelines they follow in creating and managing it: It should reflect Tamil culture. It should be in sync with nature and should not disturb the surroundings. It should foster a feeling of community.
Getting the Mix Right
While this was the first time the couple was managing a resort, Vadivelan has had previous experience with hospitality as a partner at Bodhiwoods, another resort on ECR in Chennai. Priya herself has always been interested in sustainability and ecofriendly resorts right from when she was studying architecture. So, all our experience and expertise came together at Marutham. In creating an authentic Tamil village experience food plays a very important role and they worked hard to get it right. Commercial chefs who dish out oily spicy restaurant style food, had to be trained to cook homestyle recipes from the south.
Where Hospitality meets Tradition
Genuine hospitality and affection of the staff is what differentiates Marutham Village Resort, according to Priya. Right from the manager to the person taking the guests on a lake walk in the morning, everyone is keen to show visitors a good time. When the sun goes down, the staff ramp up the activities. And the local community is very much involved in teaching guests’ simple rural activities like making wire baskets and pottery or playing traditional games like Pallanguli and Sottangal. “Bathing at the pump sets is a popular attraction!” points out Priya. At sundown, the folk dance begins and everything takes on a festive feel.
Food, the Gamechanger
Marutham’s cuisine is a hit with their guests. Apart from their popular homestyle meals, evening tea too is a novelty served on a push-cart fitted with a live counter. Guests relish sitting around on rope cots snacking on bajjis, kajas, jangeris and other snacks. Later in the evening as the performances come to an end, the aroma of kotthu parotta, muttai dosa, kari dosa and other special dishes from the south, wafts through the air drawing the guests to the feast. “We don’t use store bought masalas – we grind our own. The care we take with cooking is appreciated and we have repeat customers. I know of at least 3 elderly couples who come for long stays and are like family to us,” says Priya.
Working with the Community
Vadivelan and Priya’s worked to make the vision of integrating with the community come true. Their stay at the property during COVID helped them to get to know the local people. The team that takes care of the cattle are from Vadakadambadi. They were able to domesticate the very aggressive Gir cows. “We support their daughters by offering them an opportunity to work part time at the resort. They have the skills for handcrafting and traditional activities which they use to teach guests. And the folk performers are from Thiruporur, Vadakadambadi and Chennai currently. We are happy to provide a platform for them to showcase authentic dances from the state. They’re keeping the art alive through their passion!” says Priya with great pride.
It’s the Human Connect!
We’re curious to know what has been their learning through the conceptualization, execution and management of Marutham Village Resorts. “While earlier we were corporate in our approach as architects dealing with clients and the government for projects, Marutham has been a totally new experience for us. We connected with people at a human level. The people in rural areas are so affectionate and caring that it brings about a change in us too! It has been a transformative and humbling experience,” concludes a contented Priya.
