LuxUnlock Private Villas & Retreats is a 4-year-old luxury hospitality brand that operates a 30+ portfolio of private luxury villas and boutique B&Bs across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. While many of our properties are in popular destinations along the sun-drenched Bay of Bengal coast or the lush green mountains of the Western Ghats, others are in remote but stunning rural destinations that act as portals to discovering new and interesting regions in India. Each property has its own wonderful story to tell through its design and heritage, and our commitment to local employment, experiences and cuisine. Each house is unique and individualistic, and we have been careful to keep their branding very nuanced, while ensuring that housekeeping, service and hosting is of a very high standard and consistent. Our management team are drawn from the best names in global luxury hospitality. Some of our properties welcome individual room reservations, while others can be booked as a whole house only.

Mangala is a 100-year-old Brahmin house that formed part of the fabric of the communities who lived in the immediate vicinity of the stunning Agneeswara Temple. Dedicated to Shiva, the temple has a unique U-shaped moat-like tank that wraps itself around it. The layout of the streets and houses follows the classical tradition with an inner & outer square grid. The original owners built their house on the inner grid in a prime location on the western side of the tank. With nothing but a water body separating the temple from the house, the first rays of the sun were blessed by the god of fire, before bathing the house and its occupants in its warmth and light. Over the decades, the house changed hands. It had been abandoned for a long time and had run to utter neglect. In 2008, with the help of a renowned conservation architect, the home was restored over a period of two years. It initially opened in 2016 as a rural retreat welcoming travellers from around the world to experience the region with its great traditions in art, craft, and music. Today, after an extensive renovation, it reopens its doors to welcome travellers once again.

Visit the Agneeswarar Temple located across from Mangala, with its unique Vaastu tradition. The highlight of Mangala - a guided tour of the Devasiriya Mandapam at the Thyagaraja Temple. See the stunning Muckunda ceiling murals restored by INTACH with the support of the Prakriti Foundation. Witness daily evening rituals at the Thyagaraja Temple in Thiruvarur and listen to some of the world’s unique musical instruments being played. Take a guided village walk in the afternoon in the environs of Mangala. Use Mangala’s bicycles and explore the quiet countryside around Thirupugalur on your own. Guided bicycle rides on request. Meet the craftsmen behind the magnificent temple chariots (Vahanas) that are an intimate part of all temple festivals. For the deeply spiritual or curious, immerse yourself into the important temples at Mannargudi, Sikkil, Thirunallar, and Keevalur Take the half day trip to Kumbakonam to explore the UNESCO Site of Darasuram. Learn all about degree coffee, get comatose on banana leaf lunches, and wander through the bronze makers workshops in Swamimalai Make a half-day exploration of Tranquebar, the former Danish colony on the Bay of Bengal Visit the 15th century Nagore Dargah that welcomes all faiths. Witness evening Sufi concerts. Equally close is Velankanni, one of India’s most important Christian sites in India. For birders, you can spend the day at the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary Do a full day tour of the Brihadeeswara Temple and other sites in Tanjore