Eldho Pachilakadan,the owner of India’s first raw food restaurant, Primate, believes in letting nature take its course. With his revolutionary eatery close to its first anniversary, this 30-something is out to execute another groundbreaking idea—a ‘wildly grown’ fruit forest.Eldho defines this as a nature monastery which allows people to live by foraging food from their surroundings.“The thought occurred to me during one of my projects in the Western Ghats, as a part of Travancore Natural History Society,” he begins. While the concept propelled his decision to buy a 40-acre farm in Senapati Panchayat, Idukki (in 2010), this nature enthusiast was in no hurry to develop the property.“I wanted nature to reclaim this land which was laden with pesticides from previous farming routines practised in the region. The process took seven years! Now that the coast is clear, we’re adopting a wild farming method to fill the area with fruit trees like oranges and rambutan,” explains the green architect, elaborating that he’s all set to open ‘Swarggamedu’ to the public on June 5 (World Environment Day) for a planting spree. Kindred spirits who enjoy spending time in nature are welcome too, according to Eldho.
Life unplugged
With a bunch of fruitarians to take care of it, Swarggamedu is situated at an approximate height of 900 meters above sea level. Referring to his farm as a constantly evolving project, Eldho says that they’re bringing over 500 variants of fruit trees from all over the country to Idukki this week. Though it can be easily misunderstood as organic farming, this individual has some serious views on the subject.“I don’t believe in killing any organisms. Using an organic pesticide, instead of a chemical one, doesn’t justify the action. Each of these microorganisms serve a purpose in nature,” shares the restaurateur, adding that, his property follows sustainable farming methods identical to seed bombing. As for those looking to contribute, Eldho adds that donations will be accepted in the form of seeds and saplings.
Distance: Swarggamedu is a three-hour-long drive from Kochi via NH85 (132 km)
Things to do: Light treks through the child-friendly trails within the property and hands-on experiences focussing on wild farming practices.
What to expect: There are two fully-equipped tents on the property which can accommodate up to 10 people. Food and beverages are available
on request.
Stay from `1,000 onwards
Details: 9961809605