A retd. Engineer from Bengaluru, Nataraja Upadhya has created a thriving urban jungle on his terrace with 300 varieties of trees that host 50 types of butterflies and about a dozen birds. Nataraja gives credit to the jungle on his terrace for keeping his house cool, says he does not use a fan in summer.

In the early summer of 2010, Nataraja Upadhya was feeling the need to set up a water cooler to deal with the impending heat. As he geared up for temperatures to soar in Bengaluru, where he lives, he thought of how he could help regulate the temperature in his own home. He was already maintaining a garden in front of his house, located in Vivekanandanagar in Banashankari area, so he decided to begin gardening on his terrace as well, to have a relatively cool roof.

Over the past years, Nataraja’s consistent efforts have seen the growth of many varieties of plants, including 100 trees of 72 species, creepers, fruit trees, and vegetables. The terrace has a dense green cover, with trees including moringa, bamboo, drumstick, tamarind, and wild fig. The view is a sight for sore eyes, as the garden hosts 50 varieties of butterflies, about a dozen species of birds, hundreds of insects, squirrels, and bats, among others. The best part here is that Nataraja does not need any cooler or fan during the summer, but definitely a thicker blanket in winters, he admits.

“I call it an urban evergreen forest, as the greenery never fades. The creepers from the ground are connected to the roof and create a natural curtain. There are some plantations on 400 sq-ft of the garden, as well as along the protection wall of the house. The overall greenery helps keep temperatures at bay by 2-3 degree Celsius,” he adds.