Sivaraj Thekkayil

Sivaraj is the Managing Director of Uravu Eco Links Ltd. He coordinates all the company’s activities – construction, bamboo trading, construction training and workshops, and community tourism.

He has 20 years of experience in the bamboo sector and is one of the founding members of the charitable trust Uravu Indigenous Science and Technology Study Centre (Uravu). He has been a Trustee since 1996 and is currently Uravu’s secretary. He is also a member of the Kerala State Bamboo Mission and serves as an advisor in the Maharashtra Bamboo Development Board.

Sivaraj also played a vital role in the formation of the Uravu-Kabani Homestay project of Thrikkaipetta, which has been operating successfully since 2008. As former member of the Steering Committee of the Responsible Tourism Initiative in Kerala, he maintains close ties with the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), as well as with Kerala’s Department of Tourism. Sivaraj also co-operates actively with governmental, industrial and civil society stakeholders.

Manoj Kumar

Manoj is a director of Uravu Eco Links Ltd. He is in charge of its overall marketing and public relations activities, as well as looking after bamboo procurement and sales.

Manoj played a vital role in setting up the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort, applying his experience in the tourism sector. He has been working in the field of social entrepreneurship for more than 20 years. Before joining Uravu Eco Links Ltd., he worked for Vikasana (Institute of Rural Development), Vishwa Seva Educational Trust and Equations (Equitable Tourism Options).

Corinne Karlaganis

Corinne is a director of Uravu Eco Links Ltd. and the Head of Sustainable Tourism. She coordinates Uravu Eco Links’ tourism and community involvement activities. In addition, Corinne is responsible for concept formulation, marketing and project overview. She has been involved in studies and research projects on tourism initiatives in Kerala, alongside her work as Outreach Associate for an in institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland. She was part of a research team studying responsible tourism in Kerala and India and focuses on the various standards and initiatives on sustainable tourism.

M. Baburaj

Baburaj is one of the directors of Uravu Eco Links Ltd. He is responsible for coordinating the village activities. Baburaj is an Uravu trustee and an organic farmer. As a local of Thrikkaipetta, he is well connected to the community and was instrumental in initiating the Uravu Bamboo Village programme.

Muhammed Ali TK

Muhammed is responsible for finance and administration at Uravu Eco Links Ltd. He is a graduate in economics and has completed the CA intermediate. He has seven years of experience in finance, accounts and taxation in numerous firms based in Bangalore and Calicut.

Saira Pavithran

Saira manages the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort and coordinates the tourism activities offered to our guests. She organizes tour programmes for international and domestic tourists and can be contacted with any inquiries about tourism.

Saira joined the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort’s team in 2016, after eleven years of professional experience in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, as secretary to the CEO of a multinational company. The Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort is happy to be able to benefit from her managerial skills, as well as her friendly and always welcoming attitude.

Sheeja V.S.

Sheeja works as the financial assistant of Uravu Eco Links Ltd., where she is in charge of day to day financial transactions. She has been working for Uravu Eco Links Ltd. since 2005 and before that she worked for Uravu.

Sheeja completed her Bachelor of Commerce in Sulthan Battery. Before joining Uravu, she worked as an instructor at Deccan Computers, a computer institute in Kalpetta, Wayanad.

Elby V. I.

Elby is the caretaker of the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort. He is always ready with a helping hand, taking care of the guests and making sure they are comfortable.With his good sense of humor and love of music, Elby makes the Resort a lively place.

He joined Uravu in 2008 as a bamboo craftsman. Before transferring to Uravu Eco Link’s tourism team, Elby was a member of Uravu Eco Links’ construction team. He was involved in construction works such as the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort or the 100-meter long bamboo bridge in Trivandrum.

Sudhish P.S.

Sudhishis the supervisor of Uravu Eco Link Ltd.’s construction team. He has been working with the company since 2009 and has hands-on experience in construction with sustainable materials. Sudhis is on e of the longstanding members of Uravu Eco Links’ construction team, with a lot of knowledge concerning technical aspects of bamboo structures. He was part of the team involved in experimental constructions undertaken by Uravu Eco Links Ltd., such as the construction of a 100 meter long bamboo bridge in Trivandrum, -dome structures and bamboo-reinforced concrete structures.

Sudhish completed his Certificate Course in Electrical Engineering in 2009 with AITECC in Sulthan Battery.

Snehal Pare

Snehal works as an architect for Uravu Eco Links Ltd. She is from Indore, Madhya Pradesh and strives for sustainable and energy efficient building developments. Before joining our team, she worked for COSTFORD (Center of Science and Technology for Rural Development).

Snehal has a keen interest in the promotion of social development through green and sustainable buildings and landscapes. She has been a part of Uravu Eco Links since 2018. Currently, she is involved in design, planning, hands-on and site works. She believes bamboo is the most efficient building material if you know how to work with it.

Sharmishtha Dhurve

Sharmishtha is working as an architect for Uravu Eco Links Ltd. She is from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and is passionate about moving sustainable architecture forward with social development. Before joining our team, she worked for Mud Hands Architects, Bengaluru and rat[lab] Research in Architecture and Technology, Delhi.

Sharmishtha’s interests revolve around merging sustainable architecture with a computational approach. In this era technology is becoming a tool to make the impossible possible. Currently, she is involved in design, planning, hands-on and site works. She is enthusiastic about exploring nature in all its forms and translating them into designs using bamboo.

Loucine Maugère

Loucine Maugère is a final-year student of Management and Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO) in Sierre, Switzerland. As part of her training, she is currently doing an internship with Uravu Eco Links Ltd. and is supporting the tourism team. By working with an eco-friendly community-based tourism enterprise, Loucine can put into practice the theoretical approaches to sustainable and fair tourism development that she learnt about during her studies. Before coming to India, Loucine did her first internship in a small tourism office in the Swiss mountains, where she worked closely with the community and was able to acquire useful managerial skills.

Being a nature lover, it is important to her to ensure the sustainability of tourism by involving the local communities in order to protect the environment and the biodiversity of a place like Wayanad.

P.J. George

George has long-standing experience as a civil engineer in construction and is responsible for Uravu Eco Links’ construction management. Over the past 16 years he has executed various structures for tourism projects such as Vythiri Village, Treasure Trove Homestays in Meenangadi and Mepadi Homestays. He has worked alongside reputed architects and engineers in different parts of the country, such as Sudhakar Redy from IIT Delhi. He also has a vast experience with RCC constructions in Wayanad. George has designed and built a 100-metre bamboo bridge for the Kerala State Archaeology Department. He has worked with Uravu for eight years and brings with him innovative ideas in bamboo and other eco-friendly structures. His expertise in the technical aspects of construction and his experience with local and government construction, as well as in various other eco-friendly projects, make him a valued member of the Bamboo Grove Project team.

Jürg Grunder

Jürg is an architect and a Professor of Architecture. He is responsible for our concepts in architecture and design. He has vast experience in sustainable architecture, besides photography and design, and has managed companies in Switzerland and elsewhere globally. Since 1991 he has been a Professor at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Architecture, Wood and Civil Engineering. He is the head of the IN:CH Transcultural Sustainability Platform India, which is a competence centre in India for research, advanced training courses and the IN:CH Studio, a semester course for Indian and Swiss students in architecture and civil engineering. Given his exposure to Indian projects and much else besides, Jürg can offer invaluable help/advice to Indian partners and experts in the area of architecture. He believes that an intercultural and interdisciplinary teamwork creates a third culture, which is more successful than individual work. With IN:CH Architects and Planners in Bangalore he works on projects and execution in sustainable architecture, design and urban settlements.

Ariadna Binefa

Ariadna, an architect from Barcelona, Spain, works with Jürg Grunder on the design concept of the Bamboo Grove Project. She is currently working as a technical consultant and project manager at IN:CH Architects and Planners, Bangalore. A 2005 graduate of the Escola Tecnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona (ETSAB), she did her Masters in Workspace Design from Escola Elisava of Barcelona (UPF) in 2007. She has worked as manager for architecture projects in Spain, India and Morocco, and developed her own projects as a freelancer in Barcelona. She has comprehensive experience in sustainable architecture, hotel design and residential projects, and is a specialist in developed-technical stage and site management. Ariadna has complementary experience managing different cultural and social events such as art exhibitions, audiovisuals and social work projects.

Pornika

Pornika was born and brought up In Bangalore. She studied architecture at the Siddaganga Institute of Technology from 2009 to 2013. She did her thesis project on ‘Museum of Modern Art’ in Jaipur, Rajasthan exploring the culture and architecture of the place and researching on sustainable building methods to respond to the extreme climatic conditions. Pornika is interested in green architecture, energy efficient designing and sustainability. Currently she is interning at IN:CH Architects and Planners in Bangalore where she is working on projects involving sustainable building techniques using mud and bamboo. Presently she is involved in the design and planning works of the Bamboo Grove project together with Jürg Grunder and Ariadna Binefa.

Shoukath P.K.

Shoukath started working for Uravu Eco Links in 2005 as part of the construction team. He plays a vital role in our projects and is one of the construction team leaders at the Bamboo Grove project site. Shoukath was involved in various construction projects of Uravu Eco Links. He has a lot of experience in construction with bamboo and was also part of the experimental constructions undertaken by Uravu Eco Links. These include the construction of a 100-meter long bamboo bridge in Trivandrum and dome structures. After completing his +2 education, he started his career as a construction worker. He first worked in Kerala and later gained experience working three years in Oman.

Krishnan

Krishnan has been assisting Uravu and Uravu Eco Links for the past ten years. He and his team work in the area of bamboo cutting. Krishnan helps Uravu to collect bamboo for various purposes. He has tremendous experience and expertise in bamboo cutting and is an expert on the different bamboo species. Krishnan also works as a helper on the construction work being done by Uravu Eco Links.

Muhammed Sadique Kallada

Sadique was Uravu Eco Links’ site supervisor. He was responsible for supervising the construction activities at the project site. Sadique obtained his diploma from the Government Polytechnic College in Meenangadi in 2012. He has worked for several construction companies in Calicut and Wayanad. For the past eight years he has been involved in his father’s construction and masonry business and started to gain hands-on experience of construction at a young age.

Rajan M.

Rajan was responsible for the accounts of Uravu Eco Links Ltd. He holds a National Diploma in commerce and worked in the accounts Departments of a non-banking financial concern for around 20 years. He has vast experience as for the last two decades he has been working as an independent tax consultant and also runs a Business Process Outsourcing establishment. Rajan is also involved in various social undertakings in Kalpetta such as the Amrita Hospital for tribal communities and the Amrita Kudeeram housing scheme for below-povertylLine families.

Soman

Soman has been assisting Uravu and Uravu Eco Links for the past ten years. He and his team work in the area of bamboo cutting. Soman has a vast experience and knows all about the characteristics of bamboo as well as its availability in various places in Kerala. Soman’s traditional knowledge of bamboo and the biodiversity of Wayanad is a tremendous support for the project.

Lenin C. P.

Lenin is working as a designer and artist for Uravu since 2003. For the Bamboo Grove project he designs lamps and is involved in the lighting concept. In the past years Lenin has designed various craft products such as lampshades and desktop items for Uravu. He also works on sculptures in bamboo, stone and terracotta, besides murals and paintings. He has trained craftsmen in various workshops and training programmes throughout Kerala and India. Lenin also does freelance art works for resorts and residences.

Rakesh P.K.

Rakesh comes from a traditional craftsman family that worked with temple constructions for many generations. He learned carpentry works from his father and joined Uravu in 2002. Working with Uravu he has undergone various training workshops conducted by IIT Bombay, National Institute of Design (NID) Ahmedabad, and courses by reputed designers. He is currently working as one of Uravu’s designers and craftsmen. Rakesh is also a trainer for craft workshops conducted by Uravu. He has given training in bamboo craft to more than 30 groups. He has developed various prototypes and products such as ‘The Book of Spices’, bamboo solar lamps and lampshades. Now he specialises on bamboo furniture and works closely with the Uravu Eco Links team. He is part of the furniture design team for the Bamboo Grove project.

 

Sadanandan E.C.

Sadu was born and raised in southern India and is a current resident of Wayanad, Kerala. His interest in art began in childhood and he taught himself how to paint at a very young age. After receiving his B.S. in Statistics, Sadu dedicated his life to his true passion-creating artwork. Over the past 10 years, Sadu has explored new kinds of canvases – including bamboo. Drawing inspiration from nature and other artists, Sadu’s work incorporates natural beauty with a modern flair. He enjoys getting out of his comfort zone and using new techniques and using new mediums. In the future, Sadu hopes to work more with bamboo sculptures and installations in collaboration with other artists. Sadu was strongly involved in the bamboo works of the construction of the community centre.

U.N. Ravi Kumar

Ravi is responsible for the water and wastewater management system of the Uravu Bamboo Grove project. He is specialised in technology and society interface, work with special reference to development of appropriate technology interventions, sustainable development practices and rural development. Ravi is also involved in translating field research into teaching applications for the training of technologists. He has done pioneering work regarding rainwater harvesting, sustainable sanitation, grey water recycling, wetland conservation, bio-resources, renewable energy systems and environmental education. Ravi was trained as a mechanical engineer at the University of Mysore. He has taught basic engineering for 26 years as a professor and established and managed the Centre for Appropriate Rural Technologies (CART) at the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore for 16 years as its Director till his voluntary retirement in 2008. He received the following awards: Rotary Mysore North – S. Govindraj Best Engineer Award 2007, Lions Club Mysore South – Best Engineer 2004, Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) – Independence Day Honour 2002 for Service in the Cause of Environment, and the Rotary Vijaya Vocational Award 1996.

Shyam Kumar

Shyam Kumar is the Technical Director and Head of R&D in Renewable Energy at Innovation Experience Kerala. He is also the Technical Consultant for the Eco-Tourism Thenmala. Shyam has worked in various automobile and mechanical firms. He has worked in many Govt. research projects with DSIR and KSCSTE. His main achievements include a patent pending design for a solar peak load minimiser system, patent pending design for a chain-less pedal operated wet grinder, development of pedal operated water pump, juicer, automatic solar powered irrigation systems, solar boats, first solar bumber boat in india, solar powered bicycle, Low energy solar signage, biodegradable solar lamps etc. With NABARD funding, he developed a model eco-farm which consists of a PET bottle island, wind powered pumps, hydroponic cultivation, solar yard lights etc. He built and demonstrated a PET bottle rainwater harvester and a PET bottle bus shelter at CET, Trivandrum. He designed and constructed an interactive art installation at Technopark, Trivandrum. He designed and built an agricultural farm which use eco friendly technologies and pesticide free techniques to provide vegetables for the Kanthari Campus at Vellayani, Trivandrum. Shyam’s dream is to live in a world fully powered by solar and with waste management systems effectively converting everything including human waste into energy and utilities. Shyam completed his studies from Central Polytechnic, Trivandrum and College of Engineering, Trivandrum.

Moncy Issac

Moncy was part of the Uravu Bamboo Grove Resort team. He offered a helping hand, in taking care of the guests and making sure they were comfortable. Before that, he worked for a detergent company as a mission operator in Tamil Nadu. He was born and raised in Thrikkaipetta village.

Vincent Weil

Vincent Weil was a final-year student of Management and Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO) in Sierre, Switzerland. Previously, he studied architecture at the Engineering School of Geneva for 4 years. In addition to his academic pursuits, he is also very keen on graphic conception, video editing and travelling. He shares his passion in his own travel blog and YouTube channel and tries to capture the attention of his followers by posting and editing original stories or videos. He is learning by experience about how social media and the Internet are working and evolving. He is fascinated by new technologies and news trends and always tries to keep up to date on the topics closest to his heard, such as sustainable tourism, eco-projects and alternative ways of life.

Camille Drompt

Camille Drompt was a final-year student in Management and Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO) in Sierre, Switzerland. Before working with Uravu Eco Links Ltd., she spent a year travelling through Oceania, Asia and South America. She discovered India during her travels and fell in love with the Indian culture, landscapes and people. Working for Uravu Eco Links Ltd. was a perfect opportunity for her, as she is especially interested in sustainable development and cultural tourism in rural areas.

Solenn Goh

Solenn Goh was a final-year student in Management and Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences (HES-SO) in Sierre, Switzerland. She is particulary interested in new trends in social media marketing. Her interest in sustainable tourism began during her travels to a number of Asian countries. She also attended courses on eco-friendly tourism and sustainable development. In parallel with her internship, she is conducting a research on community-based tourism in the Bamboo Village. In the past, she worked for a year in the Maldives, so she was very pleased to be able to work again in a different cultural setting.