Build a dream nest in nature’s lap at Shamshabad
Stone Craft Group has developed the country’s largest man-made forest at Kavvaguda near Shamshabad
Hyderabad: Living in the lap of mother nature, surrounded by thick green growth, waking up to the chirping of birds and taking a stroll with a gentle wafting breeze.
Who wouldn’t dream and aspire for such a living? The concept of eco-friendly living is catching up these days with many looking to build their dream nest in the middle of quiet and green sprawls surrounded by nature.
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How about a dwelling in what happens to be the country’s largest man-made forest, located at Kavvaguda, near Shamshabad? Developed by the Stone Craft Group headed by Kirthi Chilukuri and Anusha Podduturi, the 18-acre forest at Kavvaguda is part of their 62-acre real estate venture called Woods.
The forest is developed by using the Miyawaki method — pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, which helps in building dense, fast-growing forests with native plants.
With over 4 lakh trees that attract eclectic species of birds, butterflies, and dragonfly species, the forest took three years to grow. The idea is to bring back the days when people lived close to nature, to connect, interact and co-exist with nature, explains Kirthi Chilukuri, adding that over 100 species of birds have been spotted in the area.
“Started in 2019, we had no idea how we would develop the land. With Covid striking the world, we realised how oxygen scarcity affected people, which inspired the concept of developing a self-sustaining forest,” he said.
The team of Stone Craft along with the assistance of Ravi Kumar Kumbham, the principal architect and landscape designer for the project, worked to understand the ecology of the land — identify native trees and prepare the soil in the right way.
“The Miyawaki method requires native trees and the right soil so that the trees grow much faster. We identified 140 native trees within a 50-km radius, and visited various forest nurseries across India to source the saplings. We just kept planting and before we knew it, we ended up covering 18 acres,” he added.
Kirthi Chilukuri explained that to prepare the soil, they first prepared the ground with a mix of sand, red soil, and coco peat, a special combination that helps to retain moisture. Natural manure sourced from a dairy farm was added to the soil.
There are 76 eco-friendly houses that are being built on the remaining land and one must cross a bridge constructed across the forest to enter these. The perimeter of the plot has been trenched ten feet as a forest and there is a retaining wall to stop reptiles from entering the plot.
The forest now houses 128 species of native fruit and flowering trees, including Gulmohar, custard apple, Indian hog plum, java olive, java plum, neem, Peepal Indian soapberry, and tamarind. The Stone Craft team has even managed to GI-tag every tree in the forest.
