What's in a Name?
Many have asked us why we built a resort made of earth and then named it as Banasura Hill Resort. Our inspiration came from the popular and picturesque Banasura Sagar Dam which is just about 15kms away from the resort. It's the biggest earthen dam in India, and the second biggest in Asia. It's not the name of the dam that inspired us as much as the fact that it was built using earth excavated from the neighborhood. This is what drove us to build the resort using earth as the building material. And like the people who built the dam, we were as passionate about conserving and protecting the environment.
The resort also stands at the foot of the Banasura Hill at an elevation of about 3500 ft. above sea level and nestled in the wilderness of the surrounding forests. Legend says that the Banasura Hill which is clearly seen from the resort was the place where Pazhassi Raja (the Lion King of Kerala) and his wife took shelter. Those who accompanied the Raja and his wife during their sojourn in the forests were the tribes of Banasura Hill.
Given the fact that both the dam with which it shared its architectural antecedents, and the mountain at the foot of which the resort is located shared the same name, when it came to naming the resort, Banasura became the obvious choice.
We have provided two links below depicting the full story of the Lion King of Kerala as well as the Legend of Banasura. We hope you enjoy reading this folklore!
Highlights
- Asia's largest 'Earth' Resort
- Nestled on a 35 acre eco-friendly farm
- Set at 3500 feet amidst gushing waterfalls
- Adjacent to forests with exotic flora and fauna
- Neighboring an ethnic tribal hamlet
- The 'Greenest' destination in the Nilgiris Biosphere
Stunning Earth Structures of the World
The Djenne Mosque in Mali is the world's largest mud structure. It was built in 1907, and is today a proud UNESCO World Heritage site. The prayer hall of the mosque measures 26 by 50 meters (85 ft x 165 ft), and is large enough to accommodate 3000 people. The mud covered wooden roof is supported by ninety massive rectangular pillars. The walls vary in thickness between sixteen and twenty-four inches.
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Saint Francis of Assisi Church is a small mission in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Work on the church was started in 1772 by Spanish priests of the Franciscan Order and completed in 1815. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful edifice in the State of New Mexico, and is an outstanding example of adobe architecture.
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Marrakesh is the third largest city in Morocco after Casablanca and Rabat, and lies near the foothills of the snow capped Atlas Mountains. Like many North African cities, Marrakesh is divided into two distinct parts: the Medina, comprising the historical walled city, and the modern district called Gueliz.
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The ancient Citadel of Bam located in the Kerman Province of Iran, dates back to the Parthian Empire (248 BC-224 AD). With an area of 180,000 square meters, the Citadel of Bam was the largest earth structure in the world.
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Ur was a city in ancient Sumer (now Iraq). Ziggurats are massive pyramid-like structures that have stepped levels leading to a temple at the top. They were built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and the western Iranian plateau.
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Chan Chan (pronounced 'jang jang'), is located close to the Pacific coast about 5km east Trujillo in Peru. Chan Chan was a 6sqkm earthen city built in 850 AD by the Chimor, a late intermediate period civilization which grew out of the remnants of the Moche civilization.
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The Citadel of Rayen is a historical site situated on the foothills of the Hezar Mountains to the south-west of the city of Rayen. It is considered to be the biggest earthen structure of the Kerman province of Iran, and dates back to the pre-Islamic Sassanid era (224 AD-651 AD).
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Chogha Zanbil was a palace and temple complex of the ancient Elamite city of Dur Untashi in Khuzestan province of Iran. Its construction was started by king Untash-Napirisha in 1250 BC. At the center of the complex is a great ziggurat dedicated to the bull-god Insusinak. It is the best preserved example of such structures in the world today. In 1979 Chogha Zanbil became the first Iranian site to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The base of the ziggurat is 344 feet long on each side. The structure has a total height of 80 feet. Its ornate facade was once covered in glazed blue and green terra-cotta, and its interior was decorated in glass and ivory mosaics.
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Ait Benhaddou is a 'fortified city', built on the banks of the Ouarzazate River along the former caravan route between the Sahara and the city of Marrakesh in present-day Morocco. Ait Benhaddou has some beautiful examples of Kasbah architecture.
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Shibam is an ancient town in Yemen that was built in the 2nd century AD. What is distinctive about Shibam is the fact that its houses are all made out of mud bricks, and about 500 of them are tower houses that rise 5 to 16 stories high, with each floor having one or two apartments.
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