For Visitors

From afar, people sometimes have a romanticized view of life at Sarang. It’s easy to wax lyrical about life away from the concrete jungles and so on but for many the actual life here is not a bed of roses.

Please read through to have a realistic view of life at Sarang.

Eating, Sleeping, Bathing and other things

Simple, home-cooked food is the norm. Rice, rotis and loads of vegetables. Occasionally we have eggs or fish on the menu. Usually the kitchen will be stocked with bananas. But if you need to snack in between, keep yourself stocked from the small town 7 kilometers away. We don’t provide tea or coffee at the main campus, and the nearest tea shop is 30 minutes away by foot, if its a must for you.

Potable water is from a rainwater harvesting tank or from the river Siruvani. Boiled and cooled water will be available for drinking. Water has to be used wisely. Enclosed mud pit toilets are used. Ash or soil is used for covering up. It may be wise to carry toilet paper.

A single cottage is available for volunteers/visitors, where 4-5 people can sleep. We can also provide tents that sleep 2-3. There are no cots. We provide mats and thin mattresses. Please bring a sleeping bag or warm blankets & sheets. Nights are generally cold & windy. So, be prepared with warm clothes. Rains are a possibility in the months from June to October, so umbrellas or raincoats will be useful. If you are planning to work with us bring working clothes. Bring hats, scarves, sunscreens, mosquito repellants or any protective gear you may need. And your personal medications. Bring an extra pair of sturdy slippers.

Electricity and Internet

The main house is powered with a 1 KW solar panel which takes care of all energy needs. Charging of mobiles can be done. Most mobile networks with 3G/4G internet are available a little away from the main house (Airtel has no connectivity at all here), so you can stay connected. Internet cafes, if needed, are about 7 Kilometers away.

Costs

The campuses run on our income from web designing and other small jobs, not on external funds. This is why we expect everyone to take care of their food and accommodation expenses. If you are looking to volunteer with us a fee of INR 350/day/person is expected. For general day visitors the fee is INR 100/person and for stay it is INR 500/day/person. We are not yet ready for providing food and shelter in exchange of work. In future, with farming resumed, we hope to reach a level where we can provide food and shelter in exchange of work. 🙂

Essentials for happy living at Sarang

Ability to communicate in Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi or English.
A broad mind to understand and respect our customs, manners and practices.
Avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs while you are with us. We have a very strict policy regarding this.
Loose fitting cotton clothes appropriate for our climate.
Since we use a minimum of furniture, enjoy sitting cross-legged on the floor and sleeping on mattresses or sleeping bags.

Important : Please do write to us or call beforehand to plan your visit, the dates, location, transport to the campus.