Imagine this — sitting amid ancient artefacts and antiques from Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Madurai, and Karaikudi in a mud homestay. Sounds like a dream?

A mud palace of sorts, Muthunandhini Palace is the love child of Rajchandar Padmanaban (35) and his wife, Naga Jeyalakshmi who wanted to make a home which was in tune with the environment and nature.

A geo-data scientist who has spent the majority of his life around environmentalists, Rajchandar had always envisioned a home which is deeply traditional and nature-friendly. To be near nature, he chose a land amid beautiful hills in Pothayadi village near Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.

In 2021, they started to work on their dream home and opened the doors to the guests in 2022. “Since we decided to share our space with guests, we have hosted more than 200 guests so far,” he informs. The homestay is a mix of different architectures, combining a blend of Tamil, Venad, and Chettinad styles that showcase the rich cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu.

The pieces are from the couple’s personal collection, some of which are 100 years old.

Listing all the natural materials that he used, Rajchandar says, “Besides eco-bricks, we also used Athangudi tiles. These tiles are made up of sand found near Athangudi river, which is much more sustainable than normal tiles.”

For the ceiling, the scientist used a technique called filler slab technique to minimise the use of concrete. They also used a mix of red soil, lime, cow dung, rice dusk, egg and jaggery to make a paste for construction.

The homestay boasts five bedrooms, three balconies and three living spaces. Rajchandar highlights, “A unique feature of the property is its natural coolness regardless of the weather outside.”

“With 50 upcycled windows that are over 100 years old, plenty of air circulates inside. Additionally, since the house is made of mud and clay, it remains naturally cool throughout the year,” he reiterates.