A peforming art school Aranmula, Study abroad India Aranmula art centre, Aranmula Village art school - a heritage village in India Aranmula school

VILLAGE

Vijnana Kala Vedi is located in the beautiful village of Aranmula. Since the centre is scattered into many houses you will feel immersed in the village life within few hours of your arrival. Aranmula is a tiny village clustered around the Parthasarathy temple, by the river Pamba. The road curves around the back of the temple, meets a first junction with a few shops and carries on to our junction; Tharayil Mukku. Further on there is a large modern building with our name board on the left.

Aranmula was declared as a heritage village of India by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
During Onam (which falls in Aug/Sep), Aranmula is the venue for the renowned "Aranmula Uthruttathy Vallom Kaly", or a water carnival of snake boats, the only snake boat race in Kerala with a ritual back ground.
Aranmula is world famous for its metal mirrors, "Aranmula Kannady", unique for its alloy and its ancient method of 'lost wax' and polishing techniques of making a metal surface into a mirror. The proportion of the alloy is a secret known only to the manufacturers, ie only to the members of a family who had been passing on this secret from generation to generation since the 15th century.

The Aranmula Parthasarathy temple is one of the most prominent temples in Kerala and is about 5 centuries old. Non hindus are not permitted inside the sanctum sanctorium of the temple. The area around the temple has a special ambience in the mornings and evenings.
The Mural Art Gallery in the Vasthu Vidya Gurukulam, a school for Traditional Architecture and Mural Painting is the only one of its kind in Kerala, and probably in the whole of India, devoted exclusively for mural paintings.
The holy river Pamba flows through Aranmula and is very close to the centre. Students often go to the river side in the mornings and evenings finding it so beautiful and interesting : Rivers in Kerala have been, since centuries, a means of transport, a place where men and women wash themselves, as well as their cows, elephants, bicycles and lorries
Once you are off the main road, Aranmula is a very beautiful village with coconut trees, rubber plantations and paddy fields. You can take a bicycle from the centre and ride through roads cutting across the paddy fields.
There are two temple elephants in Aranmula and they are always "somewhere" around you in the village. You might chase them during their coconut leaf hunting trips or bathing trips in the river. Many guests join the mahouts in washing the elephant at the river.

We will arrange for official visits to the art gallery and metal mirror workshop. The metal mirrors and mural paintings are some of the best souvenirs of Kerala.

Banks: There are quite a few banks in the village where you can change Traveller's cheques and USDollar cash. There are also ATM counters in the nearby towns of Chengannur and Kozhencherry, where you can withdraw money from your credit cards.

Shopping: can be done in the nearby towns of Kozhencherry, 2km, and Chengannur,11Km. The latter is a better choice. There are frequent buses to both these towns. Autorickshaws and taxies are also available.

Hospital: There are good modern hospitals in the above towns. There are a few Ayurvedic hospitals as well.

Post Office: There is a small post office right near the centre and a major one a few metres away.

Internet: there are two internet cafés in the village, about 1 Km from the centre. However, there are many in the towns of Chengannur and Kozhencherry.

Bicycles: You may use one of our bicycles to discover many footpaths leading to the river and near the banks, one of those century-old 'snake boat' waiting in its shelters for the famous boat race during Onam or riding along the paddy fields.

In January / February The Aranmula temple celebrates its annual festival and these days are really interesting. There will be elephant processions and cultural programmes in the evenings in the temple.

However, occassionally, you may expect lot of noise produced by loud speakers placed all around in the village pumping out all sorts of music through out the day and night.

VIJNANA KALA VEDI CULTURAL CENTRE - A traditional school for Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Bharatanatyam, Karnatic Music, Tabla, Maddalam, Hatha Yoga, Mural Painting, Wood Carving, Cooking, Kolam, Kalarippayatt.A Language school for the learning of Sanskrit, Hindi and Malayalam. A Centre for volunteers to Teach English in India.