KOZHIKODE: If there’s a paradise on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here... In the neon-lit labyrinth of cityscapes, noise often numbs notion. The relentless hustle - fast cars, teeming streets, and the ceaseless hum of ambition - defines existence for many. Yet, in some, a call to quietude and serenity begins to stir.
For a businessman from Karipur, that longing took the shape of a lifelong dream: to recreate the tranquil farmland of his childhood.
What began as a desire to escape the urban grind turned into a decade-long mission. “Call it a madman’s dream,” quips Mustafa P A.
For ten years, he scoured the swathe of what he called home in search of a lush, unspoiled piece of land. This yielded a stark realisation: urbanisation had crept into even the remotest of villages.
In 2016, Mustafa stumbled upon a degraded plot of laterite-mining land in Karipur. Undeterred by its bareness, he envisioned turning it into a verdant oasis - a vision that eventually took the shape of ‘Greenara’.
“The only hope I had when I bought the land was a natural spring within the compound,” Mustafa recalls.
“I never thought I could transform it into what it is today. It took me a year to study the land’s structure and resources. Engineers suggested expensive construction methods for creating a pond, but I had only my determination and hope.”
Defying sceptics, Mustafa built his first pond with the help of local masons the very next year.
“That monsoon, the pond overflowed. It was the first sign that I was on the right path to creating Greenara,” he says. Over time, he added seven more waterbodies of varying sizes, gradually breathing life into the seven-acre plot.
The transformation didn’t stop there. Over the next five years, Mustafa planted thousands of trees and tropical plants, nurturing them like his own children.
Today, Greenara is a thriving ecological haven. It boasts more than 2,000 trees, eight flowing waterbodies, a flourishing bamboo grove, and a Miyawaki forest. Fruit trees, tropical rainforest plants, and ornamental and medicinal flora dot the landscape, creating a slice of paradise.
Now 54, Mustafa reflects on his journey with pride.
“I’ve been a businessman for three decades, but nothing compares to the happiness I feel here. Greenara isn’t a commercial space or a family retreat - it’s a sanctuary I built for myself, for my peace of mind.”
While Greenara was developed as a private retreat, it has since opened its doors to the public under strict conditions. “This is not a commercial venture,” Mustafa insists.
“We share this space with people who genuinely care about nature. We also host workshops. My wife Shabja and daughter Haneena are now actively involved in Greenara’s activities.”