Banasura Hill Resort is a nature resort in Wayanad District of North Kerala, India; located 37 kilometers (23 mi) away from Kalpetta, the district headquarters. It stands at an altitude of 3,200 feet (980 m) above sea level on a 35 acres (14 ha) plot amidst the mountains of the Western Ghats declared as one of the traditionally preserved sites in the world by UNESCO.

Banasura Hill Resort - sheet 1
© Eugene Pandala

Architect: Eugene Pandala
Location: India

The resort is so named because it is located at the foot of Banasura Hill which is the second-highest mountain in Wayanad that often attracts climbers to attempt to reach the summit. Besides this, the Banasura Sagar Dam, which lies just 18 km from the resort and shares its architectural antecedents also had an influence in naming the resort.

Banasura Hill Resort - sheet 2
© Eugene Pandala
© Eugene Pandala

The resort’s architectural design follows a construction based on rammed earth. The various living structures within the resort complex are constructed using mud excavated from the very site where it stands on. The main building has an area of nearly 20,000 square foot spread over two floors and is made entirely out of mud, with a roof of bamboo and coconut palm fronds.

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