Bengaluru Couple Turns Their Home into a 2000-Plant Urban Jungle That Runs on Solar Power

In the middle of Bengaluru’s concrete chaos, a miracle is growing. Step into the 1,500 sq ft home of Sumesh and Meethu Nayak, and you are not walking into a house; you are stepping into a living and breathing jungle.

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Over the past 11 years, the couple has turned their modest urban space into a living ecosystem, home to more than 2,000 plants, 49 species of birds, and over 30 varieties of butterflies and moths. It is a green paradise that hums with life, not noise.

Every corner bursts with edible abundance, including avocados, dragon fruit, mangoes, guavas, mulberries, star fruit, and more. A towering chikoo (sapodilla) tree, planted more than a decade ago, draws in birds like bulbuls and parrots, as well as squirrels by day and bats by night.

Their secret for this is no chemicals and no artificial fertilisers, just compost from their kitchen and dry leaves. “It is like black gold. And it even smells lovely,” they say.

This mini jungle is beautiful and functional. Their home is entirely solar-powered, and the excess energy is sent back to the grid. During summer, the temperature inside is five to six degrees cooler than outside, due to the dense greenery.

What began as a weekend hobby has grown into a way of life. The Nayaks generously share their harvest with friends, neighbours, and, of course, the birds who feast freely. Now followed by over 80,000 people online, their journey has inspired many to reimagine what city living can be.

As Sumesh says, “11 years ago, I planted these trees, and nurtured them, and now, they are the ones taking care of us.”