About
The story behind Purāṇa Nava.
Purāṇa Nava began with a set of memories: a garden, a front step, a kitchen, and a pace of life that has quietly disappeared.
Memory
Eye-spy, from the front step.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of playing “eye-spy” with my paternal grandmother from the front step of the house, naming the plants in her garden.
There was no rush. Nothing to be anywhere for — unless a local fisherman arrived with the day's catch, or the vegetable vendors came by with their wooden carts. You always get a bit of the neighbourhood gossip when they stop by.
Other memories include being at my maternal grandmother's house, getting scolded for making a mess in the kitchen but always being allowed to put my two cents in by my archi's helper, Hema. It was one of those old fashioned kitchens with half walls and a natural breeze flowing through.
I vividly remember her mixing spices on the miris gala, scraping coconut on the floor with the manual scraper. She used to wash our clothes by hand back then too, soaping them and beating them against a rock to remove the dirt.
Those memories belong to a slower rhythm of life, one that has changed a great deal over the last thirty years.
Philosophy
Going forward, by looking back.
Purāṇa Nava is an attempt to work out which parts of earlier generations still belong in a fast, screen-heavy world — and how to make room for them.
There is so much convenience to modern living with more comfort and better design. But when it comes to medicine, food, connection: there is a great deal worth keeping from the old days. The question is, how do we balance it?
Permaculture
Farming with the ecosystem.
Permaculture is a holistic approach to farming that works with natural ecosystems to create a regenerative and self-sustaining environment.
We have a little bit of ‘new’ too, with our roof top veggie garden. This was built to maximise the use of space where you also get to peacefully roam around with stunning views of the neighbourhood, witnessing exactly where your food comes from and how it is grown.
Come a little closer to the old ways.
And discover what they might teach us about living well today.
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