Sudheesh Guruvaywoor and his wife Ragisudhish, from India create a slice of their homeland, Kerala, in the desert of the Gulf region. Guruvaywoor has made lush greenery, paddy fields, bodies of water, a viewing platform, and placed age-old traditional mechanisms on the farm. People jaded by the hustle and bustle, traffic jams and high-rises of modern city life, there could be no better escape than this piece of land located in the Emirate of Sharjah. Guruvayoor’s inspiration for the project came from Covid-19 restrictions on flights, with families finding it harder to travel back to India, he decided to recreate a familiar countryside scene in the United Arab Emirates. Since opening this year, the farm has attracted several people from a wide range of nationalities. The plot includes a mini-waterfall, a pond with a boat where visitors can sit, an organic vegetable garden and a traditional hut made from coconut palm fronds that visitors can pay to stay in overnight among other features. The land is also home to animals such as rabbits, ostriches, pigeons, lovebirds and emus. There are road signs highlighting towns in the state of Kerela, for visitors to experience authentic touch of Kerala and enjoy the feeling of nostalgia. (Khushnum Bhandari/ The National News)
