Welcome to Koru!
We are a couple who live in a mango orchard, at the edge of a reserve forest in Andhra Pradesh and are now offering four 25000 sqft, freestanding farm plots to you.
We have been living in this farm since 4 years now and run a pottery school and a farm stay under our brands, Slow Pottery & Velanga Orchard.
We have now developed Koru Farmstead, a beautiful extension of our own space, which gives you a simple and pristine farmlife along with a support system that we’ve built over the years!
Let’s get started!
If you’re here, you are curious about our new project, or ready to invest in a farmland and eager to live a slower life in the countryside or maybe someone who’d love to live close to nature but can’t leave their life in the city.
Hopefully, the information below will solve for whichever reason fits you! And to know more, contact us :)
Here’s what you will find below -
About Koru
Location
The Koru Farmplot
Construction Philosophy
Velanga Support Services
Velanga Orchard Short Films
Our Personal Story
The Inspiration behind the name
The Club House - Work In progress
Koru Farmstead is an extension of Velanga Orchard, located on the foothills of Malleshwaram konda/hill, on the edge of a reserve forest in Andhra Pradesh, India.
After living and working in Velanga Orchard for more than a decade, we have accumulated resources, developed infrastructure and the support system one might need to get started. In short, we’ve done the basic work for you like water & electricity supply, sewage system, a common area for leisure and socialising, gained goodwill with the locals, created pathways, cultivated the land, taken care of trees like mango, coconut, teak, some of which will be in your piece of land so you can reap it’s fruits from the very first season.
All of this does not mean that we have taken away the simplicity of the life here. Before developing any part of the farm, we always make sure that our actions are not wasteful, have long term benefits, is not a major response to a minor need, and benefits as many living organisms as possible.
At the same time, we do know that it’s not easy to just buy a farm in the middle of nowhere and start building & living your dream life.It’s an arduous process. Due to our advantages of being able to take our time and build what we have over years, the ease of communication, more than a decade of being acquainted with the locals, going through plenty ups and downs, we now have a solid foundation that we would like to provide to you.
In short, we are offering our land to people who might be our future neighbours! To us, this is more than just a piece of land. It’s an invitation to slow down, to reconnect, to build a community, a meaningful life with shared values of sustainability and simplicity, to embrace a life rooted in nature.
Location
Latitude 13.52 degrees N, Longitude 78.27 degrees E
Our Location is at a foothill, by a reserve forest, at the cusp of three mighty states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu.
This location makes possible a scenario we love. The slower exploitation of the reserve forests on their borders compared to within the states due to the red tape and our ever growing conservationists efforts in posing interstate challenges.
There is a network of small village roads one can enjoy driving within the accessible reaches of the reserve forests. Great walking trails too.
We are situated at an equal distance from Bangalore and Chennai of approximately 170km.
Tirupati is located 90km, Vellore is 57km from the farmstead.
Closest town is Bangarupalem. Closest small city is Chittoor.
The Koru Farmplot
Koru is an idea represented by the symbol of a fern that unfurls to reveal her fronds in which each frond is a mirror image of the whole.
Our pride and joy, Koru Farmstead is an unfurling of Velanga orchard while moving forward in harmony. A vision that is in the making for the past 15 years and is a forever continuous process.
We have created 4 circular spaces each with -
25000 sqft circular area
Adult mango trees in each plot that have been taken care for over 20 years
Wide open Common spaces between each circle and around which can be used freely with mutually agreed terms and conditions detailed out in Annexure 1.0
Fully fenced with a secondary external fence that surrounds the entire farm (Velanga Orchard)
A provision of water supply directly to the plot with a storage of 1,00,000 litres fresh from the ground with no contamination.
Electricity provided through single phase transformers to each plot which can easily be accessed for all residential purposes.
Pits for sewerage and grey water with ready to use plumbing provisioned outside each plot fully built and managed by Velanga Orchard for a plug and play system.
Yearly maintenance of vegetation inside the plot can be taken care of with terms and conditions we agree.
Yearly maintenance of vegetation outside the plot will be taken care of by Velanga Orchard.
Construction on the plots can be carried as per Construction guidelines and full assistance can be provided as per.
We have a clubhouse (work in progress) which will be utilised for our homestay guests and our pottery students during their time with us which will also be availed to our Koru Farmstead Residents for their leisure under clubhouse guidelines
Construction Philosophy
Standard Construction Procedure for Constrcution & Non Agricultural work for the plots
Let’s try to understand the current model of most managed farmlands . Feel free to correct us on this one.
A) Developers buy land outside the city, create the same layout models from the city, where you share one or both sides of your property with your neighbour.
B) They attempt providing the same amenities in the city in a much smaller space. Think about how this might affect a township say ten years down the road when the population has increased but the space remains the same.
C) They offer resources heavily focused on entertainment, chlorinated swimming pools, manicured chemically treated gardens and lawn which adds to the beautiful aesthetics albeit temporary. To summarise, duplication of city life in urban spaces, which will have the same repercussions that we are witnessing now, happening in our cities.
Here’s how we are designing spaces at Koru Farmstead
A) Providing a freestanding space, with vast shared areas in your immediate periphery so you can leave the city behind and experience pure rural life with the privacy the city layout system does not provide.
B) Take the burden off the viscous cycle of consuming resources, so you can add value to the city that gives us so much and to put back the value in our rural communities by gatekeeping our natural environment. To summarise we follow the campers rule, “ Leave the place better or a atleast the same way we find it”
Now to make this happen l, with some research and conversations, have designed a guideline based system to help us achieve our goals as a community.
Guidelines for construction
1) As a thumb rule we at Velanga which is a 50 acre farm will not convert more than 10% of our land which is 5 acres for any purpose other than agriculture. So for Koru, in a 25000 sqft land 10 precent of it can be built on, which is 2500 sqft and the rest can be used to compliment your living. The residents of Koru have unhindered access to over 25 acres of the farm and natural space outside their plot. Not to mention the 1000s of acres of forest that surrounds us.
2) Constructing above the ground plus first floor will not be permitted
3) Light pollution norms must be followed to cause least intrusion to the flora and fauna.
4) Sound pollution norms to be adhered to.
5) No commercial activity of any kind will be permitted.
6) Community guidelines should be adhered to at all times.
7) As a community we can always discuss, aid and help each other achieve our goals, but it’s not mandatory to partake in.
8) Waste disposal guidelines will be provided and assisted when settling in. The step we are taking in this direction already stems from our need for a healthier environment for us and future generations of humans and animals and forests, we just have to not take more than we need and nature will take care of the rest.
We are committed in helping you with guidance of natural materials, manpower resources , vernacular knowledge you may need for a smooth transition.
Velanga Support Services
*These services are available for you to avail at an extra fees. Not mandatory.
Consultation - Farming Practices & Construction
You can come to us for any consultation service that you might need regarding farming, construction and more.
Construction Inside Your Space
We can help with the entire spectrum from consultation, material sourcing and execution.
We can also undertake turnkey projects within the guidelines.
Clubhouse - Work In Progress
The clubhouse is our town square of Velanga Orchard and is available for you to use as a shared space with certain terms and conditions.
The Clubhouse is still under construction and will be be completed by mid 2025.
Annual Maintenance
For a yearly maintenance charge, we can take care of the upkeep of your plot. The common areas in between the plots will be taken care of by Velanga Orchard.
Civic Amenties
Every plot will be given its electricity, water supply, sewage system, primary and secondary fencing, adult mango trees that have been taken care of by us for over a decade.
Velanga Orchard
Short Films
Here’s two short films made on Velanga Orchard.
Our Life at the Farm is a film by The Form Co and was made when we had just moved into our farm in 2021.
Farm Tour Velanga Orchard is a short film made by us very recently for our guests and pottery students.
Both films give you an idea of the lifetsyle, the natural surroundings, our philosophy, practical pointers on how to get here and more :)
Our Personal Story
Karthik and I (Nikita) run a pottery school and a farm under our brands Slow Pottery & Velanga Orchard. We work and live here.
We both have lived in cities all our lives. Karthik was brought up in Bangalore and lived in New Zealand for more than a decade. I was brought up in Delhi and then moved to Bangalore to study.
Karthik bought this piece of land that we call our home now, Velanga Orchard as soon as he moved back to India. He worked full time in the city and drove to the farm regularly to grow mangoes, coconuts, paddy and whatever grew naturally. It also acted as his escape from the hustle bustle of the city.
I was running a pottery studio and school in Bangalore. My dream was to build myself a small cottage, a pottery studio and spend my days working with clay and maybe even teaching. I wasn’t so sure back then.
We were self employed in the city for a few years which gave us the experience to think about time. Time that was needed to be spent on our work for it to be successful and pleasurable. Time that we needed to indulge in relationships in creating a healthy community around us. Time to just spend. Time was beginning to become very important.
Although we enjoyed the city and all its conveniences and growth vectors, we could in plain sight predict the inevitable that the coming years would congest the city and that would have a direct impact on our quality of time in our lives and that realisation led to an active pursuit of an alternative lifestyle to avail ourselves a little more time.
We set the ball in motion, prioritising moving to the farm permanently with the singular goal of living a better quality life, to get some mental and physical space to live more freely and abundantly. Karthik had the skill of construction, resourcefulness, of living off the grid, the advantage of speaking the local language. I had the skill of building an art residential school, teaching pottery, social media and visual storytelling.
It’s been 4 years now, and we’ve built our home, our pottery studio, 7 cottages, a common dining space, a cow shed, a veggie patch, a new common space or a club house which is currently work in progress and now we’re ready to sell a piece of our own space under its very own name ‘ Koru Farmstead’.
We had this idea on our drawing board for a couple of years and feel confident now that our land is ready for this growth.
Inspiration behind the name Koru
The name Koru is inspired by a fern that is a powerful symbol rooted in nature & growth.
It represents the shape of an unfurling silver fern frond, which has a distinctive spiral form as it begins to open. The spiral shape of the Koru, with it’s central coil gradually unfolding outward, reflects a cycle of life, death and rebirth, as well as a journey towards balance.
This unfolding spiral also implies movement, while the inner coil suggests a return to the origins.
It’s a beautiful representation of balance between individuality and community, personal growth and a connection to the larger world.
The Clubhouse Work In Progress
We started constructing this space last year to solve the need for a common space for our guests at Velanga Orchard & Slow Pottery, solely dedicated to hosting them.
When we started planning Koru, this space fit right in with our vision for our residents.
Our Koru residents will have access to this club (T&C).
The Club will have a dining area, a laundromat, library, a guest room, an open terrace, plenty sit outs.
We’re quite sure, that the space will overtime evolve and accommodate for more ways of using it! I can imagine a yoga space, a gallery, meeting spaces and more!
This photo was taken in October 2024
Contact Us
Hello!
If you’re interested in knowing more about the farmstead, have any doubts, would like to visit the farm, please fill in the form with your contact details. We will get back to you within one working day.
Please note, the reason we need to ask you about your motivations, intentions is to make sure we protect our land and its environment from residents who might not be aligned with our values and practices.
If you can, paint us a picture on what would you like to buy this land for, your vision and anything else you’d like us to know about you.