More than a dozen major farmhouse projects have been floated in the last year, promising a heady mix of the heavenly, rustic and Victorian, with five-star comfort amidst teak and sandal plantations, undulating hills, valleys, lakes and even mini golf courses. The projects are set on plots of 50 to 650 acres, with developers forking out as much as Ks 15 lakh an acre on the national highway to Hyderabad.
In a city notorious for its laid-back pace, this back-to-the-woods concept is luring just Bangaloreans but also wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of Bombay, Delhi and even the Gulf and Hong Kong. As Suresh Heblikar, an actor-environmentalist who is advising a friend on a farm project, explains: "South India, more so Bangalore, is known for its relaxed lifestyle. The city is surrounded by quaint villages and orchards and the concept of a farmhouse gels very well. Besides, Bangalore has got congested in the last few years with vehicle pollution and rents reaching high Some view these rustic steads as investments and weekend haunts, others as a future home. "People want to get away from the city, out of the concrete jungle, and live in a serene atmosphere. They are even prepared to travel 40 km to reach their place of work," notes N. Kamalakar, promoter, Suryajyothi & Co, which is developing a 50-acre plot at Sanctuary 2000, 30 km out on the Hyderabad highway. The company has already sold 75 per cent of the plots, priced at Rs 1,000 per sq ft and to be ready by next August.
A farmhouse project typically involves purchasing agricultural land, mostly barren, in bulk around the four main highways out of Bangalore. The land is then divided into residential plots of varying sizes. Besides recreating suitably green environs, the promoting agencies develop complementary facilities like a country club, swimming pool, business centre and library. The final touch consists of giving these little Gardens of Eden adequately exotic and soothing names like Canterbury Castles, Sanctuary 2000, Little England, Happy Valley, Jain Farms and Regency Farms. The selling price? About Rs 1.5 lakh for a 6,000-sq ft plot and Rs 2.75 lakh for a quarter acre strip.
The accent is as much on selling an image as a home. For example, Canterbury Castles claims to recreate 14th century England--complete with rolling pastures, misty horizons, sparkling lakes and enchanting forests--for the NRI buyer.
While the craving to get away from an increasingly unpalatable Bangalore ranks high on the list of reasons for investing in farms, rapid appreciation of property prices in and around the city is an equally motivating factor. Says G. Vijay Bhaskar, managing director, Regency Farms & Resorts: "An acre of land near Devanahalli--35 km from Bangalore on the Hyderabad highway--a year ago cost between Rs 80,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Today, it costs Rs 40 lakh after the area was chosen as the site for the proposed Bangalore international airport."
The farmhouse rush may not ease Bangalore's housing problem, but the unexpected wad of notes dangled by developers before poor farmers struggling to cultivate in an unirrigated district has spawned a class of uneducated neo-rich. Says Heblikar: "Many villagers who sold their lands not only became landless and unemployed, but also blew up their money and have become homeless. Only about a third of the farmers put the money away safely in banks."
So, as a debate ensues on the ecological and socio-economic implications of this trend, one thing is clear: the city's boundaries are being redefined.
