Says D.M. Dilip, MD, Cave-in Resorts, “This is a 45,000 sq. ft. built space on one acre, the first man-made underground leisure-resort in India where one could conduct official meetings too, and the perfect getaway offers an artistically created ambience by architects S.N. Ramesh and C.H. Ramesh that steers one away from the modern and monotonous brick-and-mortar configurations.”

Travelling back to the pre-historic times in its contemplation, Guhantara is still garbed in contemporary makeovers.

The architecture transports you back to an antiquated age of dark stoned earthen-finished roofs and rock-like walls. But the marvel is in its appearance with present-day construction materials that wells up in ethnic appeal.

“Construction wasn’t easy, although the two-and-a-half year journey to go underground had all its excitement intact,” recalls Dilip. “The appeal is in its unique design that brings holiday and comfort in an uncharacteristic style, with striking environment-friendly virtues. Tell me, haven’t we broken a new ground by going underground,” quips Dilip with pride.

Be it the bamboo-like-walkway above the water body at the entrance that soon whisks people into a 300-feet tunnel walk for a succinct cave-feel, the series of mud-encased passageways lined with sculptures, paintings and frescoes with skylights at defined junctions that scream of rustic appeal or the central lounge-cum-auditorium with a massive spider-like skylight for family rain-dance get-togethers…the abundance of the prehistoric cave-experience has to be seen to be believed. Even the accommodation rooms have deftly planned enclosures for fitting in the mod-cons with the walls showcasing a pastoral ambience with hand-painted man and animals!

Never will one realise that the structure is 30 feet below ground level until one comes out to see the lush green undulating meadows with trees and plants swaying to the breeze and people playing at the tennis courts! Such is the design for the light and air play.

We were inspired with some of the features at Belur and Halebid, Ajantha and Ellora and some contemporary thought-flow from Swiss architect, Le Corbusier’s book, say the architects, S.N. Ramesh and C.H. Ramesh of R-Square Designs.

“Natural floor water seepage, for example, was handled by creatively placing a lake at a lower level of the construction area, enabling the easing of water pressure near the building,” explains S. N. Ramesh. “The idea of bringing in umbrella-kind covers for the cone-shaped skylights in the tunnel-walks was to primarily to tackle rain water seepage and also get a profusion of light and breeze.”

To get the cave effect the architects thought of ferro-cement concrete that was used on moulds of natural rocks, so that the innate ups and downs are highlighted effectively.

The ceiling is plastered with cement and mud, and the floors have concrete on moulds that mimic a true wooden flooring.

The idea of bringing in shell roofs was to see that the structure didn’t have to depend on too many columns and other supports as seen in flat roofs that don’t suit for a cave-look, say the Rameshs.

* Every room entrance sports a typical village door with wooden cross-bars and jute threading.

* Pine wood, with good water absorbing qualities, is used in the 6,500 sq. ft. floor area of the atrium where water plays a major role.

* Every room has a balcony overlooking an artificial lake fed by rainwater harvesting.

* There is a forest-like raw appeal in the furniture to get a bygone feel.

* The resort is ‘real’ green as it has zero per cent footprint because it is 100 per cent underground!

* The sanitation entails a ‘no-machinery, no-power’ De-wat German technology and the treated water is reused for the garden.

* The rain water valley created can store 10 lakh litres of harvested water.

* Teakwood, plywood and veneer is sparingly used to an extent that would cover a house built on a 30 x 40 site.

* A stream running around the cave is designed to get naturally cooled air, a system that works as a geo-thermal air conditioner.

* Solar energy is harnessed to serve the needs of power, bio-mass for heating water and CFL bulbs for lighting.

Call 97409 98981 / 82. E-mail info@guhantara.com or visit www.guhantara.com

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