The MERU Luxury Apartments are now in development

Last autumn, we announced that we were moving forward with construction plans at MERU.

We are now pleased to announce the first phase of construction: apartments for anyone in the TM community who would like to make MERU their home. 

These elegant apartments are being built according to the principles of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda. This apartment building project is especially important since it will initiate the necessary infrastructure for the next phase of the MERU master plan.

Following the announcement of these apartments, I took the opportunity to have a conversation with Raja Andreas Thrasy, chairman of the project, a leader in the TM organisation, and an experienced real estate developer.

Declan: Tell me about yourself. What is your role in the project?

Raja Andreas: I was born and bred in London, and I trained in architecture and began my property development business in the ‘80s. The My Hotel brand was born in the mid ‘90s, with hotels in London and Brighton.

With more than 30 years of experience, my hotel portfolio includes stand-alone brands which support and complement the property base, ranging from restaurants, to bars and cafes, to wellness spas and meeting spaces.

With my experience as a property developer and involvement with the building of the UK Peace Palace, I was invited to be the chairman of the MERU Luxury Apartments Board.

My focus in the next few years is on leadership roles for Maharishi’s movement, including building a Peace Palace in Corfu as well as supporting the development of the MERU master plan. The MERU luxury apartment building project will initiate the next exciting phase of development on the campus.

Why are apartments being built at MERU?

The apartments are an integral part of the MERU masterplan. They will fulfill the wish of leaders and meditators who are not currently part of the administration of MERU to enjoy a Sattvic (fully supportive) lifestyle whilst supporting projects and activities in the movement. Although, the people who will live in the apartments won’t necessarily work for the movement.

Tell me about the planning and development of the apartments? How long has it taken?

The MERU master plan has been in existence for many years. The more recent decision to initiate the next phase of construction was decided last year. Big development projects are complex, take time to get off the ground. It has taken four years from when permission was granted to get to this point.

What needs to be done for these apartments to be ready? When approximately will people be able to move in?

We are currently in the full throes of our sales and marketing phase. Our team has successfully secured interest from 10 purchasers out of the 32 apartments. Over the next six months, we are aiming to secure approximately 20 apartment sales and concurrently negotiate a robust build price from a reputable contractor. If we break ground in the spring of 2021 then we anticipate that by summer or autumn of 2022, we will have owners occupying their apartments.

Who are these apartments for? 

The apartments are for any practitioner of Transcendental Meditation, whether they be a Raja, TM Teacher, or meditator. Anyone within the TM community who desires to live at MERU: this is their opportunity to do so.

The apartments are an especially good fit for dedicated and successful members of our community who feel a strong resonance to own a property at the most beautiful and important address on the planet, since MERU is the headquarters of the TM organisation and the capital of the Global Country of World Peace.

What will be the benefits of living at MERU?

The benefits of living at MERU will be having a permanent accommodation on the MERU campus, which was Maharishi‘s home for 18 years. There are so many benefits, such as experiencing daily life in a perfect Vastu residence, living in community with other meditators, enjoying daily group programme, attending Vedic celebrations such as Guru Purnima, and having discounts on knowledge courses and a wide variety of Maharishi AyurVeda treatments.

What communal facilities will be available, and how will the new residents integrate with the existing MERU community?

The new residents can enjoy delicious organic, vegetarian, and Ayurvedic meals in the community dining, and they can order fresh, organic food from our suppliers.

They can also do some physical exercise in a nearby fitness centre, swim in the indoor pool, and pamper themselves at the spa and sauna. In the neighbouring town they can play tennis — some of the MERU residents regularly buy a group season ticket and play tennis in the fresh air. Not far away there are also nice golf courts, surrounded by forests.

It will be easy for the new residents to integrate with the existing community because they can have lunch and dinner together in the community dining hall, do programme together, go for walks, and attend Vedic ceremonies and events such as Vedic Dance. It is a wish for people to have a garden at MERU, too, and we’re looking into the possibilities for that.  

The apartments range in size. Can you tell us about the different options?

There are one-room apartments (studios), ranging from 30 to 37 square metres, which have a private terrace. Two-room apartments range from 61 to 100 square metres. These have a spacious living area, combined kitchen and dining, and also a private terrace. Clients can choose between eastern and western views. Then there are also three-room apartments, which are built as duplexes —this means they have additional space on the upper floor. These three-room apartments range from 106 to 126 square metres, have a spacious living room and bedroom, nice kitchen and dining area, and private terrace. Every apartment also has extra storage space in the attic. There is a community sun terrace on the top floor, too.

How affordable are these apartments going to be?

Prices start at 200,000 euro for a 50-year lease. If anyone would like to get more details they are warmly welcome to get in touch with Keith and Darija who will be delighted to have a call with them.

How successful have other Vastu developments been, and how has living in them affected residents’ lives?

The first level of experience is living in your own Vastu home. According to Maharishi and the experiences of residents, the benefits of living in Maharishi Vastu are good health, wealth, and happiness, increased good fortune, good reputation, prosperity and abundance, stable peace of mind and well being, and increased creativity and success, just to name a few.

People who live and work in Maharishi Vastu buildings find that they think more clearly and creatively, make better decisions, feel happier and healthier, feel more alert and refreshed throughout the day, enjoy more restful and refreshing sleep, enjoy more energy and less fatigue, experience less stress and greater peace of mind, and feel protected by their home.

One person said that the more they live in their Vastu home, the less they want to leave — it’s a haven of peace in harmony.

Now imagine, having many Vastu homes in close proximity also creates a very powerful effect. This creates the so-called ‘Maha-Vastu effect’, where the experiences described above are much more enhanced. It’s like entering a special place of silence and happiness. Wouldn’t it be nice to have like-minded neighbour friends, beautiful vedic gardens, and no noise from the busy roads?

Aside from living in Vastu, and being more a part of the TM community, why else would people purchase an apartment at MERU?

MERU is surrounded by a breathtaking national forest Meinweg, where you can wander around, jog, and do bicycle trips, or even meditate.

The nearby city of Roermond is just a 20-minute drive away from MERU, and bigger European cities such as Düsseldorf, Cologne, Maastricht and Amsterdam are all within a one to two and-a-half-hour drive.

There’s a lot to see and do in the surrounding area, even while MERU itself is a very calm and quiet place.

How far along is the apartment project on the timeline of the ‘MERU master plan’? When will other projects and buildings follow?

As said before, if all goes as planned we should start construction in the beginning of 2021. The first residents would start moving in around Guru Purnima in 2022.

The apartment building project is important since it will also initiate the necessary infrastructure for the next phase of the MERU master plan. Once they are constructed, other projects will follow, such as spacious flying halls, the Maharishi Tower of Invincibility, the Peace Palace of Dr Tony Nader, the Dr Tony Nader Institute of Maharishi AyurVeda, and others.

We look forward to seeing this project develop, and invite everyone who’s interested in living on this beautiful campus to get in contact with our team.

Next steps

Interested? Find out more about the apartment project by clicking here.

Alternatively, you can contact the team by telephone at +31 475 538 543, or by email at apartments@meruvlodrop.org

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