"Sublime”, says Tarun Tahiliani, a frequent visitor to Panapara, of this wondrous Nilgiris home and tea estate. “Truly one of the world’s most beautiful spots.”
One of India’s most singular private mountain estates, Panapara is a sanctum of comfort and taste in a natural wonderland.
Set at the heart of a unique conservation effort in the Nilgiris, the wonder of Panapara begins with the nearly kilometer-long private driveway that rises up the 6000-foot mountain. On every side are emerald-green tea bushes, glorious wild trees, and hundreds of fragrant magnolia champaca.
All this in preparation for a truly spectacular sight: the rock-grey home sits in a vast bowl of dramatic rock formations—enormous flat rocks at the front, a trio of massive vertical rocks that rise up directly behind, and a series of ever-larger rocks on the far side. The monumental scale and sculptural beauty of the rocks—and their contrast to the tea and shola forests—defy description.
The architecture celebrates Panapara’s unique setting. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls and a wrap-around deck merge the home with the rocks and the vistas. The interiors are flooded with natural light. Everywhere there is the sound of birds and the breeze as well as the stream and waterfall from the valley immediately below.
Design and art from far-flung regions have been combined into an exhilarating whole. Antique rosewood chairs, Franco-Tamil rattan seating, classic Tamil glass bookcases, Corbusier-inspired furniture and Indo-Saracenic mirrors magically complement each other.
The feast of wildlife spotted from Panapara’s wrap-around deck, the two-acre fenced garden, and from the private walking trails includes gaur; barking, mouse and sambar deer; sloth bear; Nilgiri squirrels; leopards; dhole; a visiting tigress; and a multitude of birds, from sunbirds, emerald doves and vernal hanging parrots to honey buzzards and black eagles.
The wonderful micro-climate at Panapara, with light mid-year monsoons and sunny winters, means that the home can be enjoyed year round, unlike chillier, wetter Coonoor and Ooty.
Panapara estate comprises 23 acres of tea, with an existing 3000 ft.² three-bedroom, move-in-ready home as well as approvals for a second home of another 3000 ft.² (to August 2022). The property is serviced by two private tarred roads, each of approximately 1 km in length. There are two wells and ample additional water from swampy land at the estate’s lowest elevation.
Panapara Estate is conveniently located just 30-45 minutes from both Coonoor and Ooty, the district’s historic towns.
The district’s best private hospital is a 15-minute drive.
The nearest airport is at Coimbatore, two and a half hours away, providing non-stop service to all the major metros as well as Singapore and the Middle East. Excellent roads link the Nilgiris to Mysore, Bengaluru, Cochin and Chennai.
The Nilgiris, the famed ‘Blue Mountains’, are India’s hill-station retreat of choice. Just 11 degrees north of the equator, but at a height of 6000 feet, they offer salubrious weather virtually year-round. The exceptional natural beauty and unique bio-diversity led the UN to declare the Nilgiris India’s first international biosphere.
Panapara is a haven of delights for those seeking privacy and pristine nature along with luxury and easy access to the world.
