Beacon Of Change

THE LARGE MOSAIC OF COLOURFUL FLOWERS, GREEN GRASS AND BLUE WATER-BODIES MAKE SUNRAY RESORTS A WONDERFUL GETAWAY DESTINATION FOR A HOLIDAY THAT’S BOTH REJUVENATING AND RELAXING. WE MEET I.A. RAJA VARMA, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SUNRAY PROPERTIES, AND THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS.

The Making of the Idea

Raja Varma, fondly known as Rajababu, started off with the family livestock business, handling poultry and prawn hatcheries. All was well till the break of bird flu in 2006. “We realised that we did not want to depend upon livestock completely, and needed to change.”

Real estate investment seemed lucrative and Rajababu worked on changing the layout around the vicinity of their industry. Beginning with 28 acres, and taking up a different approach, they started to make plots, with the minimum size being 800sq yards. The idea to go eco-friendly began at this stage as well, and they marked their plots with hedges and not compound walls. Plenty of grass was also laid out, to stress on the importance of greenery.

“Many think that laying out tar roads and using concrete reduces dust, but that isn’t the case. Vehicular dust wouldn’t have any place to go.” However, he shares that planting grass and cutting 16mm of it will ensure that the dust settles on the grass and goes into the soil again. Implementing simple technologies and ideas, in the larger scheme of things, has ensured that the resort, with its greenery, is a mosquito free zone. Important water bodies thus have guppy fish that do not let larvae breed at all. The resort also has a green house where the controlled environment enables a flourishing floriculture.

Striving Further

Rajababu is a man who’s not easily satisfied with the work he does; and so he has gone many steps farther than most. This is quite evident in the landscaping one sees at Sunray Resort.