The Secret Garden Story.
These people first found each other, then together they found a house that they changed and that changed them and their lives
Two yellow brick buildings with red tile roofs, set in a big garden with lot of palms and 4 mango trees.
The original name of the property was Peace Cottage and it had belonged to the Curian family for decades. It was a hundred year old English style bungalow in a big garden. The Curians wanted to marry their daughter and sell the house to move into something more manageable. Faizal found out and told me. There was no question this was the house of my dreams.
It was in a rather poor shape, but with a lot of potential. It had thick walls and high ceilings. It was also dark , closed, cluttered and damp. The woodwork had many layers of paint and there were damp patches on the walls. The house had a basic kitchen, one bathroom and a dark closed, dining room. The compound, the shed, the garden, all needed at little bit of tending to.
It had thick walls and high ceilings. it was also dark , closed, cluttered and damp. The compound, the shed, the garden, all needed at little bit of tending to.
When we first came to see the house, the price was 30 lakhs, but by the afternoon it had gone up to 50. We decided not to wait till the evening.
Mr Curian was handed over 500 rupees, the deal was done.
Now it came to legal papers
an empty house and a new beginning.
The workers moved in with their bikes and bricks. The craftsmanship was eminent.
Up to 25 people were working in the garden at the same time from morning to evening.
Walls were broken, walls were built. New forms started to appear. Pincoda, a very red and very hard wood from Burma was taken home in hundreds of cubic feet and made into doors, windows and furniture. The Tamil ladies carried all the tons of sand and cement on their heads in their wok pans. There was a person for every task. All the woodwork was done with simple tools and great skills. The bathrooms got marble powder and egg white finish and beds were made on the spot. The pool and the yoga platform were a priority, both made by our local contractor. The last thing was to polish the floors. In the mean time, lots of people were mending and polishing old furniture from Tamil Nadu where we bought boxes, jars, cupboards, tables and chairs.
Poor little house, it ́s peace was over. New era was on it ́s way.
Everything was done manually, steadfast and calmly
Pincoda a very red and very hard wood from Burma was taken home in hundreds of cubic feet and made into doors, windows and furniture.
23. March 2007 we had the formal inauguration. We lit the lamp, boiled the milk and blessed the house. In November the same year the first guests arrived.
In 2008 we started building the 3d. house on the property. That was ready by Christmas 2010. It is almost a mirror image of the “old house” and has 2 double rooms and a suite. Much later or in 2016 we added the last building, The Jewel in the Crown. It is a romantic suite in the back of the garden.
A dream has come true. We hope you enjoy it with us.
Best wishes.
Thora, Faizal and Secret Garden family.