Community
Wayanad has the largest concentration of aborigines (adivasis) in Kerala. They belong mainly to the Paniya, Kuruma, Adiyar, Kurichya and Kattunaikkan tribes. Though by and large these adivasis belong to the Hindu fold, primitive forms of worship are still practiced. Ancestral worship and making votive offerings to propitiate the spirits of forebears are practices that are still prevalent. Herbal medication prepared by them out of shrubs and roots gathered from deep in the forests have been found to be effective in treating various ailments.
There are four tribal villages close to Banasura Hill Resort. These are old settlements dating several centuries back. Banasura Hill Resort has been actively promoting the economic and social welfare of the tribal folks living in these villages. During the construction of the resort for which locally available eco-friendly materials like clay and stone were extensively used, the people of these villages played a substantial role, contributing their expertise and skill in rammed earth architecture.
Most of the people in the tribal village closest to the Resort are engaged in farming. Agriculture in fact is the mainstay of the vast majority of people living Wayanad. The main agricultural products in Wayanad include pepper, cardamom, coffee, tea and ginger apart from rice. Wayanad is known for two highly aromatic types of basmati rice, namely Gandhakasala and Jeerakasala. Guests at the Resort can contact Reception for purchase of these varieties of basmati rice and for fresh spices and coffee. They can also check for the availability of wild honey collected from the deep forests by tribesmen.
Kerala 670 731, India
+91(4935) 277900 to 04
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.
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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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