Pura Art Cafe in Mankuttipadam village, is a space to paint, write, think or just exist

At Pura Art Cafe in Mankuttipadam, a picturesque village set at the foothills of the Kodasseri hills in Kodali, 16 kilometres from Chalakkudy town, one finds the kind of quiet artists are quite likely to enjoy. A retreat for anyone who wants to take some time off their busy schedules to work on their art, write, or just exist, Pura would be the ideal place.

The art studio was formerly a part of art teacher Priya KG’s ancestral house. “It was an ageing building and very small. As my family grew, we moved into a larger space next door. But at the same time, I wanted to preserve the old house. That is when I decided to convert it into a space for art,” she says. She got to work and with help from her husband and children Devangana and Devahara, renovated the existing property. They reinforced the tiled roof, changed the doors, gave the mud walls several new licks of paint and did some art work on the walls outside.

“This village has no art galleries or residencies and I thought we could open up an inviting space to those who would like to practise their art in peace,” she adds.

Pura Art Cafe | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Priya teaches art at the Government Model Residential School, Wadakkanchery. Passionate about art, she teaches the children in her village as well. 

Pura Art Cafe | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Pura Art Cafe has been designed as a small studio.  It has one hall, a room, a patio and a work area and the kitchen has been converted to a gallery. “Though very small, Pura welcomes anyone who wants to work on their craft. They can live here; those who wish to cook for themselves can do so; but otherwise, I can provide food cooked at my home next door,” she says.

Children at the three-day camp held at Pura | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Formally inaugurated in May, Pura Art Cafe had a small opening ceremony with a three-day art camp ‘Ilakal Manja, Pookkal Pacha’ (which translates to the ‘leaves yellow, flowers green’), which had people from the village attend. “Children and adults from around the village got together, painted and some did craft,” says Priya, whose elder daughter Devangana manages the studio.

For enquiries, call Priya can be contacted at 8943564636.