As the world slowly wakes up to climate truths, the idea of ‘building back better’ is finally finding meaning in our oldest wisdoms. Mud houses are earthen sanctuaries that have emerged as an architectural roadmap for the future. Built by hand and rooted in community, mud homes have long sheltered Indigenous and rural cultures across India — from the thatched cob walls of Kutch to the red loam constructions of Odisha. These structures were born from necessity, instinct, and an intuitive relationship with nature.
Today, when concrete jungles trap heat and exhaust resources, mud homes stand as cooling, regenerative oases. They respond to the seasons symbiotically and ask little of the Earth. In an age of rampant consumption and fast architecture, these homes are reminders that living well doesn’t have to mean living large.
Van Bhoj, located in the Delhi-NCR region is based on the same idea. This mud house was reborn from the ruins of an old mining quarry. The land, once stripped bare for Quartzite and Badarpur, found its second life under the stewardship of Revathi and Vasanth Kamath, pioneering architects who believed in building with care. Long before “eco-living” was a buzzword, the Kamaths imagined a space where man-made structures could coexist with nature.
The result was The Kamath House, conceived in 1996. It began with mud, stone, and wood, all sourced from the land itself. Slowly, the terrain responded. Native trees like Neem, Peepal, Lemon started growing in the healing soil. Peacocks returned. And the ecosystem was revitalized.
Now offered as a unique eco-stay experience under Ecoplore’s flagship project Van Bhoj invites travelers into its earthy embrace. Offered as a holiday stay, it’s a sensorial immersion into mindful living. Here, mud floors cool your feet as sunlight filters through large glass windows throughout the day. Solar cookers prepare the food, rainwater is harvested and wastewater is treated and reused. Sustainability stands at the centre of the lifestyle.
Van Bhoj is a retreat; not from the city, but from the excesses that have come to define modern life. Curated by Ecoplore, a women-led sustainable travel platform that champions mud, bamboo, stone, and natural architecture, Van Bhoj is a gentle nudge back toward balance; a chance to live, even briefly, as we were always meant to — in harmony with nature.
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