This cultural hub is the only architectural museum in Kerala with the essence of the life and culture of the common man over the past 1000 years. This architectural gallery is built from the dismantled buildings, reconstructing around 25 traditional and heritage buildings from different parts of Kerala, making it the biggest architectural installation of Kerala. Each floor of the mansion is dedicated to three different architectural styles of Malabar, Cochin and Travancore styles of architecture.
At the start of the tour, you are greeted by the host with a traditional welcome. From the beginning till the end, the magnificence of the museum, as well as the artifacts, keeps you awestruck. The entrance to this marvelous structure is constructed from the remnants of a 16th century temple in Tamil Nadu and wooden carvings collected from across Kerala. You can see the reminiscent of the intriguing style of Malabar architecture in the pierced wooden windows. The first floor, created with the Cochin style of architecture in mind, is astutely named as Kalithattu (floor for play), as it displays the costumes of various traditional and ritual dance forms of Kerala likeTheyyam, Kathakali, Ottamthullal, and Mohiniyattam. The second floor named Kanjadalam (lotus petal) is adorned with fascinating mural paintings.
This museum is a treasure trove of over 4000 artifacts from forgotten centuries, comprising of stone, wood and bronze sculptures, ancient terracotta, Stone Age objects, jewelry, paintings, oil lamps, musical instruments, tribal and folk art, wood works, utensils, masks and traditional art forms etc.This is a perfect opportunity to shop for some pieces of ethnic antiques or tribal artifacts for yourselves at the souvenir shop. A spice shop is also available for you to experience the real culinary taste of Kerala.
The tour ends with authentic stage performances of traditional art forms of Kathakali, Mohiniyattam or Bharatnatyam conducted by the beautiful wood lined theater on the top floor of the museum. It can bearranged for you to watch the make-up and preparations involved for the performances prior to the programme.This tour is a chance to gain visual and academic knowledge on the heritage of Kerala.